Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand suspended amid spike in COVID-19 cases

The Uttarakhand government has suspended the Char Dham Yatra this year amid the massive spike in COVID-19 cases in the state. Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat said that only priests of the four temples will perform the rituals and puja. The Char Dham Yatra was scheduled to begin on May 3 this year and the state government had earlier issued COVID advisories for pilgrims taking part in the religious Yatra.

The Yatra is managed by the Char Dham Devsthanam Board. In 2019, nearly 38 lakh pilgrims visited the holy shrines, but in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, only 4.2 lakh could embark only the holy pilgrimage. Keeping in mind the pandemic situation, the state government has started preparations in advance. , India reported 3,79,257 new COVID-19 cases and 3645 deaths on Thursday (April 29), taking the country's tally to 1,83,76,524. As many as 2,69,507 discharges have been made in the last 24 hours, as per Union Health Ministry.