Big announcement for devotees; e-pass not mandatory for Char Dham Yatra 2021

The Uttarakhand High Court has made a major announcement on Wednesday on Char Dham Yatra 2021. The High Court has removed the daily limit on the number of devotees that can visit the Char Dhams of the state– Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri.

Now, there won’t be a mandatory e-pass for pilgrims. Only, pilgrims coming from outside states will have to register only on the Dehradun Smart City Portal. However, a division bench of Chief Justice R S Chauhan and Justice Alok Kumar Verma said every person, visiting the pilgrimages, will have to carry a negative coronavirus test report and a vaccination certificate with them.

Also Read: IMD issued heavy Rainfall Alert in Karnataka for next 2 days

The Covid negative test report is mandatory for pilgrims who have taken single dose of vaccine or have not taken any. The tests should have been conducted within 72 hours of the Char Dham yatra.

In case of people who produce a vaccination certificate, the SOP requires that at least 15 days should have passed after receiving their second dose. Earlier, the Uttarakhand High Court had put a cap on devotees visiting the temples.

Also Read: LPG cylinder price hiked by Rs 15: Check new rates in your city

The HC had earlier fixed the maximum number of devotees that can visit the temples daily at 1,000 for Badrinath, 800 for Kedarnath, 600 for Gangotri, and 400 for Yamunotri. Apart from fixing the daily limit, the High Court had also banned bathing in any reservoir or spring located around the temple.