Char Dham trip this year costs a bomb

Hyderabad: A 20 day-delay in the auspicious Akshaya Tritiya has led to huge rush at Kedarnath Dham, which is part of the Char Dham Yatra, making the yatris to shell out more for the pilgrimage.

The Char Dham Yatra starts on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, which generally falls around mid-April, but this time it was on May 10, resulting in a delay of 20 days. With the summer vacations also coinciding with the start of the yatra in mid-May, there has been an unprecedented rush from the pilgrims visiting the Dham. Tourists are forced to shell out at least Rs 10,000 more than the normal fares, with hotels being fully occupied in the hill shrine.

Ashok Jagtap, who runs ‘Jai Mata di Teerth Yatra’ and who takes around 75 members to pilgrimage every year said that he had delayed the yatra this year. Ashok said that the expenses have gone up this time because of the delay in the start of the yatra. “I used to charge Rs 38,000 per person but because of extra rush and expenses going up, I had to make it Rs 45,000 per person, hence I have postponed the yatra for September,” he said. The doors of Kedarnath Dham, worshipped as a manifestation of Lord Shiva, were opened for the devotees on May 10 and they are likely to remain open till Kartik Purnima (November 15).

This year, the Uttarakhand government has made it mandatory for the pilgrims to register, as it would help the government to keep track of the number of people who went for the trek. The tour operators said that the registrations can be done even at Gaurikund or at Rishikesh. T Pavan Singh, who operates the yatra through Jai Bhavani Yatra from the city said that the registration process is simple and can be done online at https://registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in/ or can be done in person at Rishikesh. If the pilgrims are using public transport, they can register at Gaurikund, which is the starting point of the yatra. Pavan Singh said that the police have set up check posts to allow the pilgrims to register for the yatra.