Dehradun, April 26 (IANS) The ongoing Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand has witnessed a significant surge in pilgrim turnout, with more than 2.38 lakh devotees visiting the four sacred shrines within the first few days of the pilgrimage season, officials said on Sunday.

According to a report from the State Emergency Operations Centre in Dehradun, a total of 2,38,590 pilgrims offered prayers at the revered shrines of Badrinath Dham, Kedarnath Dham, Yamunotri Dham, and Gangotri Dham till 7 p.m. on Saturday.

On Saturday alone, 55,998 pilgrims reached the Char Dham, reflecting the growing momentum of the annual yatra.

Among the four shrines, Kedarnath Dham has recorded the highest footfall so far.

Within just four days of the temple gates opening on April 22, a total of 1,24,782 devotees visited the shrine.

On Saturday, 31,160 pilgrims offered prayers at Kedarnath, highlighting its continued prominence among devotees undertaking the pilgrimage.

Badrinath Dham has also seen a steady inflow of pilgrims.

Since the temple gates were opened on April 23, a total of 37,884 devotees have visited the shrine till April 25.

On Saturday, 13,107 pilgrims offered prayers at Badrinath, officials confirmed.

Meanwhile, Yamunotri and Gangotri Dhams have together attracted a large number of devotees as well. Since the opening of their temple gates on April 19, a combined total of 75,924 pilgrims have paid obeisance at the two shrines.

On Saturday, Yamunotri Dham received 38,206 pilgrims, while 37,718 devotees visited the Gangotri Dham.

Officials added that arrangements for crowd management, medical assistance, and transportation have been strengthened to handle the increasing number of pilgrims.

Authorities are also closely monitoring weather conditions and route accessibility to ensure the safety and smooth movement of devotees.

The Char Dham Yatra, which holds immense religious significance in Hinduism, continues to draw thousands of pilgrims from across the country every day.

“With favourable weather and improved infrastructure, the number of visitors is expected to rise further in the coming weeks,” officials said.

–IANS

sn/khz