Garhwal Post Bureau
Chamoli, 29 Sep: The date for the ceremonial closure of the portals of Badrinath Dham will be announced on 2 October, on the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami. A religious ceremony will be held at the temple complex in the afternoon, during which the auspicious date will be determined. The Dharmadhikari and Vedic scholars, in the presence of officials from the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), will calculate the closure date on the basis of Panchang readings, following which the Raval of Badrinath Dham will formally declare the seasonal closure. This information was shared by the BKTC.
Unlike the other three Dhams, Badrinath has not witnessed a significant decline in the footfall during the ongoing second phase of the Yatra season this year. The second phase of the Char Dham Yatra began on 6 September after the retreat of the Monsoon, with devotees resuming their pilgrimage to the Himalayan shrines. Helicopter services to Kedarnath Dham also resumed on 15 September, providing greater ease of travel for the pilgrims. Earlier in the season, the Yatra had faced disruptions due to incessant rainfall, leading to repeated suspensions ordered by the government and district authorities. With the improvement in weather conditions, the pilgrimage has now regained its pace, particularly in Badrinath.
According to official data released today by Badri-Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC), more than 45 lakh pilgrims have undertaken the Char Dham Yatra along with Hemkund Sahib so far this year. Till 26 September, Kedarnath Dham recorded a footfall of 15.73 lakh pilgrims, while Badrinath Dham received 13. 93 lakh devotees. In comparison, Gangotri Dham witnessed 6.95 lakh pilgrims while the Yamunotri Dham received 5.99 lakh pilgrims. Hemkund Sahib Gurdwara this year attracted around 13,000 visitors daily for darshan. In comparison, over 48 lakh pilgrims had reached the Char Dham shrines and Hemkund Sahib last year.
