Chardham Yatra: More than five lakh devotees throng four shrines in the Himalayas

Chardham Yatra in Uttarakhand entered its 14th day on Tuesday, with the footfall of devotees reaching up to 5.68 lakh so far.

Dehradun (Uttarakhand):In the first two weeks of the Chardham Yatra that began on May 3, more than 5,68,591 devotees visited the holy shrines in the Himalayan range. Among the footfall of devotees, Kedarnath Dham registered the highest number of visitors. More than 2 lakh (2,00,154) people offered prayers to the Lord Shiva at Kedarnath Shrine.

Till now, Kedarnath recorded 2,00,154 pilgrims, Badrinath Dham 1,60,728, Gangotri Dham 1,13,246, and Yamunotri 94,463 pilgrims. On the other hand, 39 devotees have passed away due to heart attacks or other medical conditions while undertaking the Chardham Yatra. Despite casualties, the zeal and the rush for the pilgrimage continues.

Uttarakhand Director-General Health, Shailja Bhatt said some pilgrims died due to high blood pressure, and some others succumbed to high altitude sickness. "Those who are not medically fit should avoid undertaking the Chardham Yatra," she added.