No Mobile Phones within 200 Meters of Kedarnath Temple – Uttarakhand Government

In response to the increased number of tourists, the Uttarakhand government has prohibited mobile phone use within a 200-metre radius of the Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri temples.

This decision was made at a special meeting on the Chardham pilgrimage chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dham.

The government made the decision after the state administration’s crowd management efforts proved insufficient within six days of the start of the 2024 Chardham pilgrimage. In addition to the mobile phone ban, authorities have prohibited photography and video recording within 200 meters of these sacred temples in order to maintain decorum and better manage the influx of visitors.

According to reports, the government has also mandated that only registered vehicles travel on the Chardham routes. This step aims to improve traffic flow and provide devotees with a safer, more organized pilgrimage experience.

Interestingly, this pilgrimage season has seen twice the footfall as 2023, making crowd management extremely difficult. The use of mobile phones near temples has exacerbated these issues, causing delays in the pilgrimage.

According to reports, the current Chardham pilgrimage season has attracted an unprecedented number of devotees, with approximately 2,800,000 registrations in the last month alone. The surge in pilgrims during the first six days of the pilgrimage season swamped the state’s crowd management efforts, with temple grounds seeing a flow of visitors far exceeding their capacity, raising concerns about potential accidents.

Furthermore, the government has made it clear that all devotees must register before traveling to Uttarakhand for the Chardham pilgrimage. Registration can be completed on the Uttarakhand Tourism website. According to reports, strict checks will be conducted at all checkpoints, and unregistered devotees will not be permitted to proceed, in order to prevent mismanagement and ensure a smooth pilgrimage.

The government assures pilgrims that their safety is its top priority, dismissing reports of stampedes as false. Authorities are determined to take stringent action against those who spread fake news. The government’s recent measures are intended to address these issues and provide a safer and more organized pilgrimage experience for all devotees.