Char Dham Yatra sees record 45 lakh pilgrims in 94 days

The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand has reached a new milestone, with more than 45 lakh devotees visiting the four shrines within the first 94 days of the season. This figure marks an increase of approximately 3.52 lakh pilgrims compared to the same period last year, which saw 41.47 lakh visitors.

Badrinath recorded the highest footfall with over 15.27 lakh pilgrims, followed by Kedarnath with approximately 14.11 lakh. Gangotri and Yamunotri received 7.03 lakh and 6.47 lakh visitors, respectively. This surge in religious tourism is expected to benefit local businesses, including hotels, transport, and food services, despite administrative challenges posed by monsoon rains and landslides.

In a related development for religious travel, IRCTC has launched a premium 'Dev Darshan Yatra' package. Starting September 3 from Safdarjung Railway Station in New Delhi, the 18-day tour via the Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist Train aims to cover three Dhams (Jagannath Puri, Rameshwaram, and Dwarkadhish) and 11 Jyotirlingas.