Badrinath Nagar Panchayat launches a massive cleaning drive for the holy shrine ahead of winter closure

The Badrinath Nagar Panchayat launched a thorough cleaning campaign to return the holy site and its environs to its immaculate state before the winter shutdown, after an amazing 47 lakh worshipers this season.

50 ‘Paryavaran Mitra’ worked diligently to complete the cleaning, gathering 1.5 tons of trash from important locations such Main Bazaar, Tapt Kund, Astha Path, Brahm Kapal, and Mana village.

This initiative demonstrated the local government’s dedication to preserving the cleanliness and holiness of the hallowed Char Dham pilgrimage destination.

Pushkar Singh Dhami, the chief minister of Uttarakhand and a steadfast supporter of keeping Char Dham temples clean, commended the effort.

The municipality reported making Rs8 lakh from the disposal of 110 tons of inorganic garbage that were collected during the Yatra season, underscoring the need of sustainable waste management.

The phrase “Cleanliness is next to godliness,” which combines environmental stewardship with devotion, is best shown by the post-season cleaning at Badrinath Dham.

The holy thrones of Uddhav, Kuber, and Shankaracharya had already started their winter trek from Badrinath Dham to their assigned sites on Monday, November 18. Temple authorities said the palanquins left for their winter stay with the music of an army band and rights holders. To enable devotees to pray to Lord Badri Vishal during the off-season, they stopped for the night in Pandukeshwar, where Uddhav Ji and Kuber Ji would stay at the Yogadhyan Temple for winter devotion.

According to the scriptures, which state that mortals must worship for six months and gods for six months, Shankaracharya Ji’s seat has been positioned in the Narsingh Temple in Joshimath, while Narad Ji will conduct devotion in Badrinath Dham.

In the meanwhile, the District Police Administration and the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee announced a record-breaking number of pilgrims during the 2024 Yatra season.

From May 12 to November 17, 14,35,341 people visited Badrinath Dham, including 11,170 on the last day.
Between May 10 and November 3, 16,52,076 pilgrims visited Kedarnath Dham, 1,26,393 of them used the helicopter.

Before their gates closed on October 10, 1,83,722 pilgrims also visited Lokpal Tirtha Shri Laxman Mandir and Shri Hemkunt Sahib. These figures were praised by the local government and temple officials as evidence of the Yatra’s effective management.

“These figures for the year 2024 have been released by the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee with the cooperation of the District Police Administration,” according to an official statement.