Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami reviewed arrangements for the Char Dham Yatra in Dehradun on May 16. State Chief Secretary Radha Raturi said that according to the direction of Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, taking into account the religious sentiments of devotees, shooting videos or making reels within the 50-metre radius of the temple premises has been prohibited.
Radha Raturi said, “The Chief Minister held a detailed review of the arrangements of Char Dham, in Dehradun today. He has given directions that nobody will shoot videos or make reels in the 50-metre radius of the temple premises. This is hurting the religious sentiments of devotees. So, to maintain the sanctity of the temple and respect the devotees, those going there won’t be allowed to shoot videos or make reels in the 50-metre radius of the temple premises. There is no prohibition on carrying mobile phones. You can use it but nobody will be allowed to shoot videos or make reels.”
She further said that a lot of cases are coming to light where people are dancing and playing music, which is hurting the religious sentiments of devotees.
Over 26 lakh devotees from all across the country and abroad have registered for the ongoing Char Dham Yatra.
“Char Dham Yatra is going on in the state. So far, 26.73 lakh devotees have registered for the Char Dham Yatra… More than 1.42 lakh offline registrations have been done in Haridwar and Rishikesh counters. This time double the number of devotees are coming as compared to last year,” Commissioner Garhwal Division Vinay Shankar Pandey said.
More than one lakh devotees reached Kedarnath since the doors of Shri Kedarnath Dham opened on May 10. So far, 2, 76,416 devotees have visited Char Dham.
In four days, 1,26,306 devotees have set a new record by reaching Kedarnath. All three dhams, including Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, have been bustling.
The Char Dham Yatra commenced in Uttarakhand on May 10. The Char Dham Yatra holds profound spiritual significance in Hinduism. This journey typically occurs from April-May to October-November.
It is believed that one should complete the Char Dham Yatra in a clockwise direction. Hence, the pilgrimage starts from Yamunotri, proceeds towards Gangotri, onto Kedarnath, and finally ends at Badrinath. The journey can be completed by road or by air (helicopter services are available).
Some devotees even do a Do Dham Yatra or a pilgrimage to two shrines, Kedarnath and Badrinath, as per the Uttarakhand tourism official website.
The Char Dham Yatra, or pilgrimage, is a tour of four holy sites: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. In Hindi, ‘char’ means four and ‘dham’ refers to religious destinations, as per the Uttarakhand tourism official website.
Uttarakhand Govt extends ban on VIP darshan till May 31
In view of the continuous surge in the number of pilgrims visiting the Char Dham Yatra, the Uttarakhand Government has decided to extend the ban on “VIP Darshan” till May 31 this year.
In a letter to all Chief Secretaries of the states, Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Radha Raturi said, “I would like to inform that this year, there is a continuous surge in the number of pilgrims visiting the Holy Char Dham in Uttarakhand. For better management, we have decided not to have any “VIP Darshan” till May 31, 2024.
Uttarakhand Chief Secretary said that in order to streamline the process of Darshan at the Dhams, state Government has started a process of registration for Chardham Yatra.
“Registration is mandatory and devotees must register for the Chardham Yatra 2024 on https://registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in/. Darshan at the Dhams shall be allowed only to the devotees on the date for which they have registered,” the letter read.
The elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions should get themselves medically examined before commencing their Yatra and follow the guidelines issued by Deptt of Medical Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of the Uttarrakhand which are available on https://health.uk.gov.in/pages/display/140-char-dham-yatra-health-advisory Govt. of Uttarakhand is committed to provide a hassle-free Yatra experience to the devotees and seek your support in disseminating the above information to the public at large in your state/UT, the letter read.
Last year, the Kedarnath temple administration put a ban on making reels around the temple after a video of a couple went viral where the woman was seen proposing to her boyfriend in front of the temple. Kedarnath Badrinath temple committee had taken a strong objection on the viral reel.
In September 2021, influencer Aarti Sahu was made to apologise after she made a dance reel in front of a temple that went viral and faced backlash. In October 2023, an influencer was booked for making a reel in Ram Ki Paidi Ghat in Ayodhya.
Last year, a helicopter pilot had to abort takeoff because of a reel-addict.
https://twitter.com/shekharrath/status/1680392596827561984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1680392596827561984%7Ctwgr%5Ebd1b7d684f88089d14b568cbbea5f22ba9ff4d3f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.opindia.com%2F2024%2F05%2Fsanctity-vs-theatrics-a-stricter-stance-on-pollution-and-footfall-needed-at-kedarnath-dham%2F
Recently, a group of youth were caught taking drugs and making reels at Kedarnath. They were seen apologising to police after getting caught.
#BigBreaking उत्तराखंड : #केदारनाथ_धाम में नशा करने वाले 4 भक्तों को पुलिस ने पकड़ा। चारों ने ऑन कैमरा पुलिस से माफी मांगी। पुलिस ने इस बार नशा करने वालों और अमर्यादित REEL बनाने वालों पर कड़ा एक्शन लेने की बात कही है।#Kedarnath #BadrinathDham pic.twitter.com/nH8CsSHWkH
— Arjun Chaudharyy (@Arjun5chaudhary) May 12, 2024
Another video shows how bad the situation is because of reel-addicts.
बात कड़वी और दुखी करने वाली है पर सच है pic.twitter.com/rmRG4Tk92E
— R S 🇮🇳🇮🇳 (@rs_rajender) May 15, 2024
https://twitter.com/Abhiisshhek/status/1790404315947118886?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1790404315947118886%7Ctwgr%5Ebd1b7d684f88089d14b568cbbea5f22ba9ff4d3f%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.opindia.com%2F2024%2F05%2Fsanctity-vs-theatrics-a-stricter-stance-on-pollution-and-footfall-needed-at-kedarnath-dham%2F
Following the incident, several social media users thanked the priest for speaking up. X user Abhishek said, “Finally, responsible local citizens came forward and stopped this drama in Kedarnath which had become a centre of various kinds of so-called cultural activities.”
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