Chardham Yatra begins on Akshaya Tritiya, over 22 lakh devotees participate

The Chardham Yatra 2025 began on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. The gates of Gangotri and Yamunotri Dhams were officially opened from Wednesday, marking the start of one of the biggest pilgrimages of the year. Prajapati Nautiyal, Officer on Special Duty at the Rishikesh Transit Camp, said that so far more than 22 lakh pilgrims have registered for the yatra.

A “Special Security Mobile Team” has been deployed to ensure the safety of devotees, so that the journey remains safe and smooth. Earlier, offline registration began in Haridwar on Monday. District Tourism Officer Sushil Nautiyal said that separate registration counters have been set up for the disabled, senior citizens and foreign devotees. In addition, 20 free registration counters are also operational.

 Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami offered prayers at Gangotri Dham on Wednesday morning and later went to Yamunotri Dham to perform aarti. In a post on social media, he wrote, “The doors of Shri Yamunotri and Shri Gangotri Dham have opened on Akshaya Tritiya. Chardham Yatra 2025 has started from today. May the blessings of Maa Ganga and Yamuna be showered on everyone.”

The Chief Minister also said, “Chardham Yatra is not just a pilgrimage, it is like a festival for the people of Uttarakhand. All the preparations are complete. Our aim is to make this yatra safe, easy and hassle-free. Various departments are working in coordination so that the journey of the devotees is smooth.”

Meanwhile, on the same day, lakhs of devotees thronged the Shri Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, where the feet of the deity are offered once a year—one of the attractions of Akshaya Tritiya. To manage the crowd and ensure security at such a rare moment, administrative officials including Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Shailesh Pandey, District Magistrate Chandra Prakash and SSP Shlok Kumar visited the temple premises and reviewed the security arrangements. They also held an important meeting with the temple committee.

Akshaya Tritiya is a very auspicious day for Hindus and Jains. On this day, donations, worship, service work, buying gold and starting business are considered especially auspicious.

The combination of Chardham Yatra and Akshaya Tritiya has created a festive atmosphere across North India on this day. Everyone is praying that this great auspicious date and pilgrimage brings peace, good fortune and prosperity in the lives of the devotees.