Char Dham season opens

Char Dham Yatra opened for the 2026 season on Saturday, when the portals of Yamunotri and Gangotri were opened to pilgrims in Uttarakhand. (newindianexpress.com) At Gangotri, the shrine opened at 12:15 p.m. on April 19 during Akshaya Tritiya, and Yamunotri followed at 12:35 p.m. after traditional processions, prayers and temple rituals. (newindianexpress.com) The rest of the circuit opens next week: Kedarnath is scheduled to open at 8 a.m. on April 22, and Badrinath on April 23, according to the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee. (hindustantimes.com) (badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in) Char Dham refers to four Himalayan shrines — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath — that open each summer after winter closure because snow and cold cut off the high-altitude routes for months. (badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in) (hindustantimes.com) This year’s pilgrimage is being run through a tighter registration system. Uttarakhand’s official Tourist Care portal says pilgrims must register before travel and verify themselves at each shrine, and it issues a QR-coded registration letter for the trip. (registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in) Officials are also framing the season as a safety operation as much as a religious one. The temple committee warns that pilgrims face extreme cold, low humidity, stronger ultraviolet exposure, and reduced oxygen pressure on the mountain routes. (badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in) Kedarnath is the most physically demanding leg for many travelers. Hindustan Times reported the temple sits at nearly 3,500 meters above sea level near the Mandakini River, and Yamunotri requires a four-kilometer trek from the roadhead to the shrine area. (hindustantimes.com) (newindianexpress.com) The pilgrimage is also a major seasonal driver for Uttarakhand’s hill economy, bringing transport, lodging, food and mule-service demand back to the routes as the shrines reopen. (newindianexpress.com) For now, the 2026 season has started with two shrines open and two more days away, as the state shifts from ceremony to crowd management on the Himalayan roads and tracks. (newindianexpress.com) (registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in)