Uttarakhand Char Dham pilgrimage draws over 37 lakh devotees, 198 deaths reported

More than 37 lakh pilgrims have visited Uttarakhand’s Char Dham shrines — Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri — since the season began in April 2026. Official data show 198 fatalities, roughly three deaths per day, largely linked to health complications among elderly travelers in the high‑altitude terrain.

At Kedarnath Dham alone, over 12.7 lakh devotees offered prayers this year, complimenting the administration’s sanitation, security and medical facilities, while also noting congestion and the movement of pack animals on trekking routes. State authorities stress medical screening, have deployed oxygen‑equipped beds, ambulances and health teams along the routes, and credit improved road connectivity and infrastructure for the record footfall.

Officials continue to advise vulnerable pilgrims to undergo health checks before undertaking the physically demanding journey.