The Uttarakhand Government on the 29th of April, announced to suspend the Char Dham Yatra. The decision was taken in the wake of the rising number of the Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19 cases.
After the recent Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, the Novel Coronavirus cases increased rapidly in the State. In order to control the spread and situation of COVID-19, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttarakhand suspended the Yatra. The Char Dham Yatra to the four Himalayan shrines of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath was scheduled to begin in May.
Tirath Singh Rawat, the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, announced the same. He said, “The CM said, “Only priests will be allowed to conduct pooja and other rituals.” The Uttrakhand CM said the Char Dham shrines would open as per their announced dates. However, no pilgrims would be allowed in the temples.
The decision came a day after the Uttarakhand High Court (HC) lashed out at the State Government for conducting Kumbh Mela in April. On the 28th of April, the Uttarakhand HC division bench of Chief Justice R.S Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma reviewed the conduct of Char Dham Yatra. The Court said “The prospect of conducting the Char Dham Yatra in the midst of a raging pandemic is “a frightening one.”
The final decision was taken after a senior officials of Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB), the decision to suspend the yatra was taken after a telephonic conversation between tourism minister Satpal Maharaj and the State CM.
The Badrinath shrine is slated to open on the 18th of May, Kedarnath on the 17th of May, while the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri will open on the 15th of May.
Stay tuned for further updates.
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