Chamoli (Uttarakhand) [India], May 1 (ANI): With the Char Dham Yatra set to commence shortly, Uttarakhand Director General of Police (DGP) Deepam Seth and Additional Director General (ADG) V Murugeshan arrived at the revered Shri Badrinath Dham on Thursday morning to assess preparations.
The senior officers reviewed critical aspects, including security arrangements, traffic management, communication systems, and crowd control measures along the entire Yatra route.
Their visit comes just days before the doors of the revered Badrinath temple are scheduled to open for devotees on May 4. 
The officials interacted with local authorities and inspected key points along the pilgrimage path to ensure safety, convenience, and a seamless experience for pilgrims.
The Uttarakhand Police is deploying additional forces and technological support to manage the large turnout expected during the pilgrimage season. Authorities emphasised that all necessary measures are being taken to ensure a safe and spiritually fulfilling Yatra for all visitors.
Meanwhile, the helicopter service for the 2025 Shri Kedarnath Dham Yatra commenced from Sonprayag in Uttarakhand, offering a convenient travel option for pilgrims, officials said on Thursday.
Pawan Rana, a helicopter operator, said, “Online tickets are available on IRCTC, while offline tickets can be obtained through the District Magistrate or Sector Magistrate. We operate around 20 to 30 shuttles daily, serving over 150 pilgrims.”
He added that flight operations are subject to weather conditions. “If the weather is clear, we can run 25 to 30 flights a day. In case of bad weather, tickets are cancelled, and passenger safety is prioritised. Security arrangements are in place, and every passenger is properly briefed before flying.”
Rana also mentioned that around 150 online bookings are made daily, and bookings are open for a month.
The idol of Baba Kedarnath arrived at the Kedarnath Dham here today, May 1. The temple doors of Baba Kedarnath will open to devotees on May 2 at 7.00 am.
The Lord Kedarnath temple has been adorned with 13 quintals of flowers as the doors of Kedarnath Dham are set to open on Friday.
The doors of Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham were opened for devotees on Wednesday on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, accompanied by Vedic chanting and worship. With this, the Chardham Yatra 2025 of Uttarakhand has officially commenced.
Flowers were showered from a helicopter onto the devotees visiting Shri Gangotri Dham and Yamunotri temple.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami pledged during the Kapadodghatan ceremony at both Dhams and performed the first puja, wishing for the successful organisation of the Char Dham Yatra as well as for the happiness, prosperity, and well-being of the country and the state. Dhami is the first Chief Minister to attend the Kapadodghatan at Yamunotri Dham.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Dhami reached Yamunotri on Wednesday, April 30, where the Yamunotri Dham opened to pilgrims on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya.
Speaking to reporters, Dhami said, “We are monitoring the situation from every angle to ensure that the Char Dham Yatra pilgrims do not face any problems… The journey to Yamunotri Dham is slightly more challenging than that to the other Dhams. For this, we are working on making a master plan.”
He added that the number of pilgrims visiting the Char Dham has increased significantly since 2014, following extensive development work undertaken under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Char Dham Yatra 2025 began on Wednesday. Over 22 lakh devotees have registered at the Rishikesh Transit Camp and are heading toward the holy shrines. (ANI)
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