The sacred Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand concluded with significant pilgrim participation this year, recording a total footfall of 48.3 lakh devotees across the four Himalayan shrines. This figure represents an increase of 2 lakh pilgrims compared to last year's 46.1 lakh, though it falls considerably short of the record-breaking 54 lakh pilgrims witnessed in 2023.
Pilgrimage Statistics and Shrine-wise Distribution
According to a comprehensive analysis by Dehradun-based think-tank SDC Foundation, Kedarnath temple emerged as the most visited shrine with 17.6 lakh devotees during the 2024 pilgrimage season. Badrinath followed closely with 16.6 lakh pilgrims, while Gangotri attracted 7.5 lakh visitors and Yamunotri welcomed 6.4 lakh devotees.
The pilgrimage season witnessed its peak activity during April and May months, with all four shrines experiencing their highest footfall during this period. The subsequent months saw significantly lower pilgrim numbers, creating an uneven distribution throughout the yatra season.
Climate Challenges and Zero-Pilgrim Days
This year's Char Dham Yatra faced substantial challenges due to weather disruptions. The SDC Foundation fact-sheet revealed that 79 days during the six-month pilgrimage period saw zero pilgrim movement, primarily caused by weather disturbances, landslides, and disaster-related closures.
Anoop Nautiyal, founder of SDC Foundation, emphasized that "the unusually high number of zero-pilgrim days and extremely low-pilgrim days" highlighted concerning trends in yatra management. He attributed the lower footfall compared to 2023 largely to the extended monsoon season and subsequent infrastructure damages.
The duration of the yatra varied across shrines, with Kedarnath remaining accessible for 175 days, Gangotri for 176 days, Yamunotri for 177 days, and Badrinath having the longest operational period of 206 days.
Call for Sustainable Yatra Management
Nautiyal stressed the need for a paradigm shift in how pilgrimage success is measured. "Increasing numbers alone cannot be treated as an indicator of success," he stated, adding that "the true measure of an effective yatra lies in how safely, sustainably and efficiently it is managed."
The analysis underscores the urgent requirement for strengthened disaster-mitigation systems, quicker road restoration capabilities, improved information management protocols, and more resilient planning approaches to handle the massive annual pilgrimage.
The fact-sheet data, compiled from daily pilgrim reports released by the Char Dham Yatra management office, provides crucial insights for policymakers and administrators aiming to balance religious tourism with environmental sustainability and pilgrim safety.
