Dehradun: In the first two weeks of the Chardham Yatra which started this year, there has been a 31% decline as compared to 2024. Three lakh fewer devotees have arrived this year. This report has been released by the Social Development for Community Foundation (SDC).
According to the analysis of the Social Development for Community Foundation (SDC) Foundation, an organization working on data-based advocacy of environmental and climate issues of Uttarakhand, a total of 6,62,446 devotees reached Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri between 30 April and 13 May. Whereas last year in the same period from 10 May to 23 May 2024, 9,61,302 devotees came on the Yatra. This represents a decline of 2,98,856 or nearly three lakh, which is a 31% decrease overall.
Anoop Nautiyal, founder of SDC Foundation, said that this decline should be seen in the context of the current Indo-Pak tension. The military movement and clashes on the border in the last few weeks have affected the mindset of the general public and their confidence in traveling. A significant decrease has been observed in the number of pilgrims coming especially from states like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan. The nature of the Char Dham Yatra is based on inter-state movement and mass travel, which has been directly affected.
Number of visits expected to increase
Despite the slow start of the Yatra, the SDC Foundation expects the number of spontaneous visits by pilgrims to increase in the coming days. According to last year’s data, the Yatra usually peaks in the second half of May and the first half of June. If the security situation stabilizes, there is every possibility of a jump in the number of pilgrims in the latter half of this month. He said that this phase of low numbers should be a matter of great concern for the Uttarakhand government and corrective measures need to be taken on a war footing. Citing the example of the steps taken by the Vaishno Devi Shrine Board of Jammu and Kashmir after the Indo-Pak tension, he said, “They immediately increased facilities and communicated effectively to restore trust. Similar proactive and decisive efforts are needed in Uttarakhand.
The SDC Foundation has appealed to the state government to immediately convene meetings with district administration, temple committees, hoteliers, horse-mule operators, travel agencies, trade bodies and local communities to improve the experience of pilgrims. Seasonal travel like Char Dham Yatra demands pro-active planning, not reactive. The livelihood of thousands of families and businesses depends on this pilgrimage. Therefore, some quick decisions need to be taken in view of the huge drop of three lakh devotees in the first two weeks. He also reiterated that he had released a report titled ‘Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra in 2024: Data Insights, Challenges and Opportunities’, which was submitted to the Chief Secretary at that time.
In that report, we have carried out a report titled ‘Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra in 2024: Data Insights, Challenges and Opportunities’. Clear guidelines were suggested for capacity, crowd management, environmental safety and real-time communication. Unfortunately, many of these recommendations have not been implemented yet.
