Char Dham Yatra 2025: The Char Dham Yatra is all set to begin from April 30, and preparations are in full swing. The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee is actively working to make sure everything goes smoothly during the pilgrimage. To avoid any kind of inconvenience for devotees, the temple committee is doing its homework and has also started issuing new guidelines. One of the new rules is that during this year’s Char Dham Yatra, making videos or reels within a 30-meter radius of the Kedarnath and Badrinath temple premises will not be allowed. This rule is being put in place by the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) to better manage the crowds in the temple areas. Also, strict action will be taken against those who spread misleading or fake information on social media.
The Yatra will officially start on April 30 with the opening of the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines. The Kedarnath shrine will open on May 2, followed by Badrinath on May 4. Devotees are very excited about the pilgrimage this year, and with the rising enthusiasm, the management team has to stay fully prepared to handle the crowds efficiently. To ensure better crowd control, the committee has decided to ban videos and reels within 30 meters of the temple premises at both Kedarnath and Badrinath. In today’s age of social media, many devotees often use their cameras freely in the shrines, which sometimes causes mismanagement or chaos. Some YouTubers have also uploaded controversial videos just to get views and likes, leading to disputes and backlash. Because of such incidents, the temple committee has had to come up with stricter rules. This is not the first time such an issue has come up. In the past, similar situations have led to the committee banning reels in Kedarnath too. During last year’s Yatra, it was seen that large crowds would gather in the temple premises just to shoot videos and reels on their phones, making it difficult for others to peacefully have darshan. Even the local priests had raised objections to this.
Seeing how such content creation has increased in the past few years, there’s been a lot of opposition to it. To ensure the smooth and successful running of the Kedarnath Yatra starting from May 2, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee has now completely banned photography, video shooting, and reel-making in the temple premises. This year, no devotee will be allowed to carry devices meant for social media use within 30 meters of the temple. There will be proper checking arrangements in place, with help from the police, ITBP, and temple staff, who will be deployed in the area. The temple committee has already finalized the rules in advance so that there are no last-minute issues during the Yatra. Preparations are being taken care of beforehand to avoid any problems in crowd control or overall arrangements. It’s important to note that the management of Badrinath and Kedarnath temples is handled by the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, while the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines have their own separate committees. These committees manage the temple areas independently and set rules and guidelines in coordination with the local administration. These guidelines also include steps for crowd control and darshan management.
