Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed arrangements for the Char Dham Yatra in Dehradun on Thursday. State Chief Secretary Radha Raturi said that according to the direction of Uttarakhand CM Dhami, taking into account the religious sentiments of devotees, shooting videos or making reels within the 50-metre radius of the temple premises has been prohibited.
Radha Raturi said, "Chief Minister held a detailed review of the arrangements of Char Dham, in Dehradun today. He has given directions that nobody will shoot videos or make reels in the 50-metre radius of the temple premises. This is hurting the religious sentiments of devotees. So, to maintain the sanctity of the temple and respect the devotees, those going there won't be allowed to shoot videos or make reels in the 50-metre radius of the temple premises. There is no prohibition on carrying mobile phones. You can use it but nobody will be allowed to shoot videos or make reels."
She further said that a lot of cases are coming to light where people are dancing and playing music which is hurting the religious sentiments of devotees. Over 26 lakh devotees from all across the country and abroad have registered for the ongoing Char Dham Yatra.
"Char Dham Yatra is going on in the state. So far, 26.73 lakh devotees have registered for the Char Dham Yatra... More than 1.42 lakh offline registrations have been done in Haridwar and Rishikesh counters. This time double the number of devotees are coming as compared to last year," Commissioner Garhwal Division Vinay Shankar Pandey said.
More than one lakh devotees reached Kedarnath since the doors of Shri Kedarnath Dham opened on May 10. So far, 2, 76,416 devotees have visited Char Dham.
In four days, 1,26,306 devotees have set a new record by reaching Kedarnath. All three dhams, including Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, have been bustling.
The Char Dham Yatra commenced in Uttarakhand on May 10.
The Char Dham Yatra holds profound spiritual significance in Hinduism. This journey typically occurs from April-May to October-November. It is believed that one should complete the Char Dham Yatra in a clockwise direction. Hence, the pilgrimage starts from Yamunotri, proceeds towards Gangotri, onto Kedarnath, and finally ends at Badrinath. The journey can be completed by road or by air (helicopter services are available).
Some devotees even do a Do Dham Yatra or a pilgrimage to two shrines, Kedarnath and Badrinath, as per the Uttarakhand tourism official website.
The Char Dham Yatra, or pilgrimage, is a tour of four holy sites: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. In Hindi, 'char' means four and 'dham' refers to religious destinations, as per the Uttarakhand tourism official website. —ANI
