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The Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, in collaboration with the District Police Administration, has reported a record-breaking number of pilgrims visiting the sacred shrines of Badrinath and Kedarnath during the 2024 Yatra season.
According to an official statement, a remarkable total of 30,87,417 pilgrims visited the two holy Dhams this year.
At Badrinath Dham, the pilgrimage season culminated on 17 November, with 11,170 devotees visiting the shrine on the final day alone. The total number of visitors to the shrine since the gates opened on 12 May reached 14,35,341.
Kedarnath Dham welcomed 16,52,076 pilgrims between 10 May and 3 November. This figure includes 1,26,393 devotees who chose to travel to the shrine via helicopter, highlighting the increasing popularity of aerial pilgrimages.
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In addition to the two main Dhams, 1,83,722 pilgrims visited Shri Hemkunt Sahib and Lokpal Tirtha Shri Laxman Mandir before their gates closed for the season on 10 October.
The Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee acknowledged the vital support of the District Police Administration in ensuring the smooth management of this year's Yatra. "These figures of the number of pilgrims for the year 2024 for Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath have been released by the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee with the cooperation of the District Police Administration," the official statement read.
On Sunday, large numbers of devotees gathered at Shri Badrinath Dham as the temple prepared to close its gates for the winter season at precisely 9:07 PM. Ahead of the closure, rituals were performed where Lord Badri Vishal was adorned with flowers, and the idols were prepared for the winter arrangements. Mata Laxmi was seated in the sanctum sanctorum after 8:00 PM, and the idols of Uddhav Ji and Kuber Ji were moved to Bamni. The temple, which had been decorated with 15 quintals of marigold flowers, remained open throughout the day for the final round of worship.
Kedarnath Dham had already closed earlier on the occasion of Bhai Dooj with elaborate Vedic rituals, chants of "Om Namah Shivay" and "Jai Baba Kedar," and performances by the Indian Army band.
Gangotri Dham's gates were closed on 2 November, while Madmaheshwar Ji's doors are scheduled to close on 20 November.
The successful management of the Yatra reflects the joint efforts of the temple authorities and local administration, as per ANI.
(With inputs from ANI)
