Uttarakhand Government Issues Chardham Yatra 2023 Advisory for the Routes Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri

Uttarakhand government issued an advisory for the Chardham Yatra pilgrims and trekkers for health and other cautionary measures to take for safety.

Written by: Arjita Gupta

Edited by: Krutarth Ghosalkar

Last Updated: April 28, 2023

Among the Hindu pilgrimages, the Char Dham Yatra is one of the most important pertaining to a tour of four holy sites such as Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri. And these regions are located high up in the Himalayas. About nine persons have experienced heart attacks this year and passed away during the Char Dham Yatra. In addition, bad weather has interfered with hundreds of pilgrims' religious journeys to Kedarnath. As the weather is now unpredictable in Uttarakhand, several pilgrims are facing health issues. Thus, the government of Uttarakhand has come up with an advisory for the journey.

The Himalayan temples in Chardham Yatra are situated at a height of more than 2,700 meters, hence the state administration has advised that acclimatization before beginning the journey is essential. The Uttarakhand administration has urged trekkers and pilgrims to schedule trips that will last at least seven days in order to allow for acclimatization. The advisory is out in 11 languages such as Bengali, Tamil, Punjabi, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Oriya, Marathi, Gujarati, and others.

Plan to stop for five to ten minutes every hour while hiking or every two hours while driving uphill. Keep enough warm clothes as the temperature will be extreme and cold. Check the weather report before you plan the travel. Take along essentials such as thermals, gloves, woolen sweaters, socks, puffer jackets, raincoats, and basic health check equipment such as a thermometer, a Pulse oximeter, umbrellas, rain gear, etc. Ensure you are fit for the trip. For instance, a person with a history of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, or asthma must get a prior health checkup done.

Before setting out on their treks, pilgrims must make sure they are medically prepared. Travelers may experience low humidity, intense cold, extreme UV radiation, low oxygen levels, and low air pressures due to the high altitude. The caution stated that it is important to prepare, plan, and pack for the trip in accordance with the advisory because high altitudes can lead to medical problems.

Throughout the Yatra, pilgrims should consume lots of nutritious food and at least two liters of fluid daily. A pilgrim should contact the closest health service touchpoint if they experience numbness on any side of the body, dizziness, chest pain, weakness, cold/icy skin, vomiting, shortness of breath, and persistent coughing. They should not take pain relief medicines, sleeping pills, and alcohol throughout the yatra.

All current medications and test instruments, in addition to the phone number of their primary care provider, should be carried by pilgrims who have pre-existing diseases including diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, asthma, etc. Avoid the yatra if the doctor advises against it, according to the advice. Continue walking for 20-30 minutes every day and 5-10 minutes of breathing exercises daily.

Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister of Uttarakhand, has this week signaled the departure of vehicles with medical services for Char Dham Yatra pilgrims. The Kedarnath pilgrimage route is being given particular attention by the government at this time. Every kilometer has a medical aid station built here. 130 doctors are positioned here at Char Dham in an effort to boost healthcare.