In response to the overwhelming influx of pilgrims, the Dhami Government in Uttarakhand is considering the establishment of a regulatory regime for the Chardham pilgrimage, reminiscent of the previously abandoned Devasthanam Management Board of 2019, which was repealed following protests by priests.
A special high-level committee (HLC) has been formed by the government to explore the creation of a new authority or institution to oversee the Chardham and other religious pilgrimages in the state. Senior government officials have revealed that this decision was prompted by the challenges faced in managing the crowd on roads and at temples due to the surge in pilgrim numbers over the past two years.
The government anticipates that the coming years will witness even higher pilgrim numbers, potentially reaching up to one crore, as predicted by former Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. The HLC, under the leadership of additional chief secretary Anand Bardhan, has been tasked with devising strategies for the smooth regulation of future pilgrimages in Uttarakhand.
Furthermore, the committee has been directed to recommend the formation of an authority or institution to facilitate the seamless regulation of all religious yatras in the state. In the meantime, the HLC, led by Bardhan, will oversee the daily flow of devotees during the ongoing Chardham pilgrimage to Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath, and Kedarnath shrines.
The surge in pilgrim numbers, exceeding the carrying capacities of the shrines by more than double, has challenged the state government’s crowd management efforts, leaving the administration struggling to maintain control. A senior official from the state Home Department, speaking anonymously, acknowledged that this move reflects the government’s intent to revert to a regulatory regime akin to the Uttarakhand Chardham Devasthanam Management Board, established by the Trivendra Singh Rawat regime in 2019 through state legislature enactment.
