Chardham Yatra Opens Soon: Over 22 Lakh Devotees Register Amid Offline Registration Chaos
Category : Latest News |
Posted on 09 May 2024
The opening of the holy sites Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath Dham on May 10, and Badrinath Dham on May 12 marks the beginning of the Chardham Yatra. Already, over 22 lakh devotees have registered to participate in this sacred pilgrimage. Despite the vast numbers, local authorities face challenges managing the influx, especially with offline registration mishaps in Haridwar, causing considerable disruption.
Temple Committee Chairman Ajendra Ajay has completed the necessary preparations and requested that VIPs and VVIPs refrain from visiting until May 25 to ease the congestion. He also urges pilgrims to focus on their spiritual experience rather than engaging in social media activities, like making reels, during their visit. The committee even contemplates banning mobile phones in the future to preserve the sanctity of the pilgrimage.
As the registration numbers show, Kedarnath leads with 760,254 devotees followed by Badrinath with 658,486, Gangotri at 391,812, Yamunotri at 344,150, and Hemkund Sahib with 45,959. The surge overwhelmed the six registration counters in Haridwar, where chaos ensued as early as 4 AM. The local tourism department struggled to manage the crowd, necessitating police intervention to restore order and facilitate the registration process.
The overwhelming turnout also revealed shortcomings in the registration system, notably the lack of sufficient online options which forced many to rely on the offline method that quickly became overloaded. This situation led to frustrations among pilgrims, some of whom clashed with brokers over registration issues.
In light of these events, authorities are taking measures to improve the situation, including setting up additional registration counters and deploying more staff to handle the increased demand. However, the challenges underscore the need for better planning and infrastructure to accommodate the growing number of devotees eager to participate in the Chardham Yatra.
