All arrangements for the Char Dham Yatra 2025 have been completed, Garhwal Divisional Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey confirmed, as the annual pilgrimage commenced on Wednesday.
Speaking to the media, he said that the safety of the devotees will be a priority, informing that paramilitary forces and police officials have been deployed to ensure the smooth and safe movement of pilgrims along the route.
“We prayed to Goddess Ganga to make this yatra successful”, Pandey said.
The Char Dham Yatra, which includes visits to Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath, is one of the most significant pilgrimages in India, attracting lakhs of people every year.
Earlier on Tuesday, while speaking to the media, Uttarakhand Director General of Police Deepak Kumar said that approximately 6,000 policemen and 17 PAC companies would be deployed for the yatra. He added that drones would be used to monitor the situation.
“Preparations for the Char Dham Yatra by the police department and all other departments started long ago, and now we have reached the final stage. All our plans have come to fruition. The force has been deployed. Approximately 6,000 police officers and 17 PAC companies will be deployed. Apart from this, about 90 CCTV cameras have been installed at all four Dhams, a network of more than 200 CCTV cameras on the Char Dham route, and more than 300 CCTV cameras have been installed in Haridwar,” the Uttarakhand DGP said.
“Drones will be used to monitor the situation constantly… Social media is also being closely monitored,” he added.
Char Dham Yatra 2025 registration began on Monday, with special registration counters set up for the specially-abled, senior citizens, and foreign nationals. Additionally, 20 free registration counters have been installed.
