Uttarakhand: Chamoli DM takes stock of preparation for Char Dham Yatra at Badrinath

Chamoli (Uttarakhand) [India], April 11 : Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana visited the Badrinath Dham here on Thursday and inspected the preparations for the Chardham Yatra.
The District Magistrate instructed the officials that before the start of the Yatra, works related to sewer line repair, improvement of internal routes, water, electricity, street lights and vehicle parking should be completed and signage should be installed for passenger convenience.
The Char Dham Yatra, or pilgrimage, is a tour of four holy sites: Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. In Hindi, 'char' means four and 'dham' refers to religious destinations, as per the Uttarakhand tourism official website.
The high-altitude shrines remain shut for around six months every year, opening in summer (April or May) and closing with the onset of winter (October or November).
It is believed that one should complete the Char Dham Yatra in a clockwise direction. Hence, the pilgrimage starts from Yamunotri, proceeds towards Gangotri, onto Kedarnath, and finally ends at Badrinath.
The journey can be completed by road or by air (helicopter services are available). Some devotees even do a Do Dham Yatra or a pilgrimage to two shrines, Kedarnath and Badrinath, as per the Uttarakhand tourism official website.