by Swarajya Staff – Jun 10 2020, 12:33 pm,
Char Dham pilgrims awaiting their turn to pray at the Kedarnath temple. (Vinay Santosh Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
The Char Dham yatra, which has resumed in Uttarakhand, will be open for residents in parts of the three districts where the pilgrimage centres fall till June 30.
Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath, the four prime centres of pilgrimage falling in Chamoli (Badrinath dham), Uttarkashi (Yamunotri dham and Gangotri dham) and Rudraprayag (Kedarnath dham) districts have been opened for the local pilgrims — with guidelines and standard operations procedures released by the state government.
The Yatra is closed for pilgrims from outside the state till 30 June. The purohits at the four pilgrimage centres are reported to have not welcomed the government decisions of opening the yatra wholeheartedly. There are fears of Covid-19, coronavirus and the threat of the spread of infection.
A report in the Hindustan Times says: As per the norms, a maximum of 80 pilgrims will be allowed in an hour inside Kedarnath shrine, while 120 pilgrims will be allowed at the Badrinath shrine.
This report mentions that people are opposing the step from the state government. Residents of Joshimath and surrounding villages will be able to visit the Badrinath temple. Residents of Guptkashi and Gaurikund will be able to visit Kedarnath temple.
The residents of Janaki Chatti and Hanuman Chatti will be able to visit Yamunotri and Gangotri, the News18 website report adds. The purohits of Kedarnath are not too pleased with the idea of opening the Yatra, reports say.
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