The Uttarakhand High Court on Monday stayed state Cabinet's decision permitting Char Dham Yatra with limited number of pilgrims. The court has also ordered live streaming of Char Dham shrines. It has posted the matter for July 7.
The order of the court came after Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state had on June 25 decided to allow pilgrims only from the districts in which the shrines are located - Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag - from July 1.
The state government had said that it would be issuing guidelines for the pilgrimage for people from three districts. Government spokesperson Subodh Uniyal informed the three districts from where pilgrims were allowed were Chamoli, Uttarkashi, and Rudraprayag.
The four pilgrimage sites in Uttarakhand are Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri.
On Sunday, ahead of the opening of the Chardham Yatra for the residents of three districts of Uttarakhand, additional doses of COVID-19 vaccines were made available to inoculate the persons related to the yatra on instructions of Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat.
The additional vaccines have been given to the districts of Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, along with the districts of Tehri and Pauri, which are on the way of the Char Dham Yatra.
Uttarakhand government on Monday extended the COVID-19 lockdown for another six days, while also announcing a few relaxations for gyms and markets.
