By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 8 April: The surge in pilgrim enthusiasm suggests that this year’s Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra 2025 is poised to break all previous records. Helicopter bookings for up to 31 May for the Kedarnath Yatra filled up within mere hours of the opening for the first phase, underlining the overwhelming demand. As soon as reservations opened yesterday, all available slots for the month of May were booked swiftly. In all, over 23,000 bookings have been made on the first day itself. Consequently, devotees seeking helicopter services will have to wait until June, as the tickets for the month of May are no longer available.
The portals of Kedarnath Dham are set to open on 2 May, marking the commencement of heli services from Guptkashi, Sirsi, and Phata helipads for Kedar Dham. The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) permitted helicopter service bookings from yesterday only for the Yatra period from 2 to 31 May. However, within hours, all May slots were exhausted, leaving many devotees disappointed. However, questions also arise if all the bookings done for the Yatra period of May are genuine and whether there is no insider booking involved. It, however, must be reminded that registration with the Yatra registration authorities has been made a mandatory prerequisite to make bookings for heli services and hence the possibility of any largescale irregularity appears minimal.
It may be recalled that the helicopter tickets can only be booked via heliyatra.irctc.co.in. Reports indicate that over 23,000 devotees secured reservations on the opening day itself. UCADA Chief Executive Officer Sonika Singh affirmed that, given the extraordinary demand, further expansion of flight planning is underway. This year, nine helicopter companies are operating in Kedarnath, catering to pilgrims.
Sources claim that with May slots completely booked, cyber fraudsters have begun exploiting the situation. Devotees are being advised by the state government and the Yatra authorities to exercise caution against scams promising helicopter tickets for Kedarnath. Every year, cases surface where unsuspecting pilgrims fall prey to fraudulent online bookings. Many realise they were deceived only upon reaching the helipad with a counterfeit ticket.
The government has made it clear that authentic tickets can only be secured through heliyatra.irctc.co.in. It has been further stated that the pilgrims encountering fraud can seek assistance by dialling 1930, the official helpline for complaints and cybercrime inquiries.
