Char Dham Yatra 2025: Countdown Begins as Kedarnath Trek Route Cleared of 6-10 Feet Snow

Char Dham Yatra 2025: Preparations in Full Swing, IAS Officers Assigned, Most Registrations for Kedarnath Preparations for the Char Dham Yatra 2025 are going on at full pace. To make sure everything runs smoothly at the pilgrimage sites, the government has handed over key responsibilities to IAS officers. Kedarnath is seeing the highest number of registrations this time, which means a large crowd is expected there. With that in mind, the administration is leaving no stone unturned in its preparations. IAS officer Yugal Kishore Pant has been put in charge of the Kedarnath Dham. The Kedarnath Yatra is set to start on May 2 this year, and officials are working hard to make the journey smooth, safe, and comfortable for devotees. To keep a close eye on the arrangements, Pant recently visited the Kedarnath Dham and checked several key locations along the route. During his visit, he also took stock of the renovation and beautification work happening around the Kedarnath temple. He checked the quality and progress of the construction and gave clear instructions that all work must be completed on time to avoid any trouble for pilgrims when the yatra begins. Pant also inspected the footpath from Gaurikund to Kedarnath and asked departments to quickly clear the snow along the route and in the temple area. For context, the Kedarnath walking trail was previously blocked due to heavy snow — between 6 to 10 feet in some places — but has now been cleared to allow movement. Work is underway to ensure that horses and mules can safely carry goods along the route.

Last Wednesday, laborers managed to remove the snow from the path between Lincholi, Chhani Camp, and Rudra Point all the way up to Kedarnath. Around 70 workers from the Public Works Department (PWD) are working in these snow-hit areas to fix the trail. In icy and slippery zones, they are using mud and stones to make the path safer. In just 20 days, these 70 workers have cleared around 9 kilometers of snow. In the next phase, snow will be cleared from Rudra Point to the helipad and then from the helipad to the temple. Removing snow from the MI-26 helipad area is currently the top priority. By April 10, officials aim to have all the major spots in Kedarnath cleared of snow. Online registrations for the Char Dham Yatra started on March 20. So far, more than 12.5 lakh (1.25 million) people have signed up for the pilgrimages to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. Interestingly, over 10,000 foreign travelers have also registered this year. Out of them, 3,674 have signed up for Kedarnath, 3,045 for Badrinath, 1,918 for Yamunotri, and 2,105 for Gangotri. Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand Police have also begun large-scale preparations for the yatra. To ensure smooth movement and safety, the IG of Garhwal Range has been appointed as the nodal officer for the Char Dham Yatra. A dedicated “Char Dham Yatra Control Room” has been set up at the range office. For the first time ever, the yatra routes have been divided into 15 super zones, 41 zones, and 137 sectors. Police will be deployed in every sector, and round-the-clock monitoring will be carried out to keep everything safe and organized.