Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], September 23 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Wednesday said that special focus has been placed on strengthening pilgrim facilities, health services and security arrangements during the second phase of the Char Dham Yatra.
According to a release, the Chief Minister said that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, work is progressing rapidly to give Shri Badrinath Dham a grand, divine and well-organised form in keeping with its religious and mythological significance. This will provide better facilities to devotees visiting the shrine.
After Yamunotri and Gangotri, Badrinath Dham has now broken all previous records in terms of pilgrim footfall. For the first time in the history of the shrine, the number of devotees visiting Badrinath has crossed 17 lakh, reaching 17,79,805. The figure has been recorded even though around one-and-a-half to nearly two months remain before the temple portals close for the season.
The Badrinath Yatra, which commenced on April 23, set a new record within 153 days on September 22, the CMO said.
According to Tourism Department data, Badrinath Dham recorded 6,95,332 pilgrims in 2000, the year Uttarakhand was formed. The figure rose to 7,68,107 in 2007. In 2008 and 2010, the number crossed the 10-lakh mark. However, the devastating 2014 disaster severely affected the pilgrimage, with the number of devotees falling to just 1,59,575.
In 2018 and 2019, the shrine witnessed 10,48,051 and 12,44,993 pilgrims, respectively. The numbers then fell sharply to between 1.5 lakh and two lakh due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, only 1,55,055 pilgrims visited Badrinath, while the figure stood at 1,99,409 in 2021.
With improved pilgrimage management and expansion of facilities for devotees under the Dhami government, Badrinath has witnessed a steady rise in pilgrim numbers since 2022. A total of 17,63,578 pilgrims visited the shrine in 2022, followed by 17,80,429 in 2023, 17,74,264 in 2024 and 17,78,298 in 2025, the data stated.
With weather conditions improving, the daily footfall at Badrinath is also rising. On Tuesday, 6,685 devotees offered prayers at the shrine. (ANI)
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