Everything You Need to Know before Planning Chardham Yatra

Chardham is one of the most holy pilgrimage tours believed by Hindus. In the Chardham, yatra pilgrims cover four important and sacred sites which include Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. People dreams of taking blessings from all four holy sites. The special thing about the four dhams is that these 4 holy sites are situated in 4 different directions and somehow still connected with each other. 

But now that it is becoming difficult for people to complete this holy journey and the proof of this statement is that this holy journey of hundreds of people got affected by the bad weather of Uttrakhand and besides this bad weather, people are dying because of cardiac arrest and this year approximately 9 people died during their holy journey to Chardham because of cardiac arrest. But the government took some actions to help pilgrims. So today in this blog, we will throw some light on the things the Uttrakhand government decided and also the reasons for the death of pilgrims. 

So we will be explaining the death tolls in the different holy sites this year via the table given below. 

In the Year 2023

According to the table in the year 2023, 149 people died during their visit to Chardham of which around 31 lakh people visited Chardham sites. So you must be wondering what Hemkund is, so for the people who are not aware of this holy place it is also situated in Uttrakhand and it is a Sikh Shrine. 

Reasons behind the Deaths during the Yatra: 

So there are many reasons that are mentioned by the government of Uttrakhand but the most common reason for the deaths of the pilgrims are—

● Some visitors could not bear the harsh weather.

● Some pilgrims could not bear the tough trekking and terrains.

● Some died because of the accidents on their way to these holy sites.

● Some because of their age. 

Actions Taken by the Government to Reduce the Death Numbers of Pilgrims: 

● As these holy temples are situated at a high altitude which is over 2,700 meters which is too much for humans. So the government has advised that before beginning your journey to these holy temples acclimatization must be done. 

● The government of Uttrakhand also requested pilgrims to plan their trip accordingly and it is suggested that they should plan it for at least seven days and acclimatizing requires time and it will allow time to acclimatize. And it is also advised to take breaks after every one-hour trek as it will be really helpful.

● Pilgrims can suffer from various things such as extreme cold, low humidity, extreme UV radiation, low oxygen and low air pressure as they will be traveling at a high altitude. If you are traveling at a high altitude it is really common that it can cause medical issues which can be critical as well, so it is important to be well prepared for these medical issues and trekking.

● It is important to practice breathing exercises for 5-10 minutes and also walk daily for 30 minutes as it is a basic thing to prepare yourself for trekking as it will get you used to walking. 

● For people who have a history of diseases which include asthma, heart disease, hypertension or diabetes, it is important for you to visit your doctor for a health check-up to ensure that you are fit for the Chardham tour. It is way more important than booking a Chardham tour package in advance. So get it done for sure.

● It is always advised to check the weather forecast before you begin traveling. And also pack enough warm clothes because of the extreme cold weather, rain gear, raincoat and umbrella and don't forget to carry health checking types of equipment such as Pulse Oximeter, thermometer, etc.

● There are many health service touchpoints available there so you can always reach out to your nearest touchpoints for any kind of health issues.  

● Also, it is suggested to carry enough fluids and nutritious food in your trek as it is important to intake fluid every 30- 60 mins and have nutritious foods as it will give you energy for your trek. 

So these are the things that you should keep in mind before beginning your trek and the same were highlighted by the government of Uttrakhand. These are the things that will help in reducing the death tolls of the pilgrims.