Mussoorie: The Char Dham Yatra registration process began on Friday as the Uttarakhand government opened the online portal at 7 am for devotees planning to undertake the annual pilgrimage to the Himalayan shrines.
This year’s pilgrimage will begin on April 19 with the opening of the portals of Yamunotri Temple and Gangotri Temple. The portals of Kedarnath Temple will open on April 22, followed by Badrinath Temple on April 23.
The government has initiated mandatory online registration through multiple digital platforms to ensure smooth management of the pilgrimage, Officer on Special Duty for the Char Dham Yatra in the tourism department, Prajapati Nautiyal, said.
“To facilitate a seamless process, the online registration for the Char Dham Yatra began at 7 am on Friday. We are compiling the data on the number of registrations received, which will be available by late evening or in the morning,” Nautiyal said.
Pilgrims can register using their Aadhaar cards through the official portal or via the Tourist Care Uttarakhand mobile application. Officials said devotees will not be permitted entry into the Char Dham shrines without registration. Foreign nationals can register through the email facility provided on the online registration portal.
The government has also announced offline registration facilities to assist pilgrims who may not have access to digital platforms. These centres will start functioning from April 17, two days before the start of the pilgrimage.
Physical registration counters will be set up at key locations, including the Yatra Registration Centre and Transit Camp in Rishikesh, Rishikul Ground in Haridwar, and Vikasnagar in Dehradun, officials said.
Shailendra Matura, president of the Uttarkashi Hotel Association, said hotel bookings in the region are currently around 8–10%, but the figure is expected to increase significantly after the start of registrations.
“With the opening of Char Dham Yatra registration, we expect bookings to surge and cross 50% within the first month after the shrine portals open on April 19,” he said.
Officials said the state government uses a GPS-based monitoring system to track registered pilgrims, which helps ensure traveller safety and regulate the number of visitors at each shrine to prevent overcrowding.
A 24/7 toll-free helpline (0135-1364) has also been activated for assistance and grievance redressal. Devotees have been advised to complete their registration in advance to ensure a smooth pilgrimage.
Last year, more than 5.9 million registrations were recorded for the Char Dham Yatra, and officials expect the number to rise further this year.
A total of 4.8 million pilgrims visited the Char Dham shrines and Hemkund Sahib after the portals opened on May 10. Of these, about 1.42 million visited Badrinath Temple, 1.65 million visited Kedarnath Temple, 0.81 million visited Gangotri Temple, and 0.71 million visited Yamunotri Temple, while 183,722 pilgrims paid obeisance at Hemkund Sahib.
In 2023, the Char Dham Yatra broke all previous records, with the pilgrim influx crossing the 5.6 million mark, according to officials from the tourism department.