No VIP darshan at Chardhams till May 31, ban on videography within 50 metre radius of temples

Dehradun: The Uttarakhand government on Thursday decided not to allow VIP darshan at the Chardhams -- Kedarnath, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Gangotri -- through the rest of the month due to the huge rush of devotees at the Himalayan temples.

There will be no arrangements for VIP darshan at the Chardhams till May 31 and offline registration in Haridwar and Rishikesh will remain closed till May 19, Chief Secretary Radha Raturi said in a letter to her counterparts in all states and Union Territories.

A ban has also been imposed on videography and making social media reels within a 50 metre radius of the temples, she said. Videography is being done and reels are being made on the temples' premises by some pilgrims due to which people gather at one place, causing inconvenience, Raturi said.

The Chardham Yatra started on May 10. In the first six days of the pilgrimage, till Wednesday, 3,34,732 people from India and abroad have visited the shrines to offer prayers.

Registration for the yatra started on April 25 and, till Thursday evening, more than 27 lakh devotees had registered for it.

According to an earlier letter written to the chief secretaries of other states on April 30, VIP darshan was not to be allowed at the temples till May 25.

Prior registration for the yatra is mandatory and devotees can have a darshan at the dhams only on the dates allotted to them at the time of registration, Raturi said.

Elderly devotees with a medical history should get themselves tested before embarking on the yatra and follow the guidelines issued by the Health Department of Uttarakhand, the chief secretary said.