Maharashtra has emerged as the top contributor to the 2025 Char Dham Yatra, sending 554,072 pilgrims to the sacred Himalayan shrines as the six-month spiritual journey draws to a close. The portals of Yamunotri, Gangotri, and Kedarnath have already shut for winter, while Badrinath—the last remaining open—will close on November 25 with traditional Vedic rituals, marking the official end of a season that saw over 50 lakh devotees brave treacherous terrain for divine darshan. Uttar Pradesh followed closely with 530,165 pilgrims, Madhya Pradesh with 501,046, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, while host state Uttarakhand surprisingly missed the top-five list.

Kedarnath alone witnessed a record 1,962,953 visitors—edging past last year’s 1,961,025—despite heavy rains and landslides that forced temporary closures in July. Maharashtra devotees dominated here too, contributing 194,007 pilgrims to Lord Shiva’s abode, while UP sent 232,554. Badrinath has already welcomed 1,590,550 pilgrims and continues to draw thousands daily until the final aarti. Across the four shrines—Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath—total darshans crossed 50 lakh, reaffirming the yatra’s status as the world’s largest peaceful pilgrimage for 80 crore Sanatani Hindus.

Officials attribute Maharashtra’s surge to improved connectivity via the new Char Dham all-weather road, direct flights to Dehradun, and aggressive promotion by the state’s tourism department. “The devotion from Maharashtra has been unparalleled this year,” said Yogendra Gangwar, Additional Director of the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board. Special trains from Mumbai and Pune, coupled with helicopter packages starting at ₹45,000, made the journey more accessible than ever for western India’s middle-class devotees.

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The record footfall comes despite early-season disruptions from cloudbursts that claimed 23 lives in August. Enhanced disaster management, real-time weather alerts, and biometric registration helped authorities manage crowds safely. With portals closing amid sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfall, preparations are underway for the idols’ winter sojourn to pandal shrines—Lord Badri Vishal will reside at Pandukeshwar, while Kedarnath’s panch-mukhi vigrah will winter at Ukhimath.

As the final Kapaat Bandhan ceremony approaches on November 25, Uttarakhand Tourism has announced that the 2025 yatra will commence on Akshaya Tritiya (April 30), with registration opening February 15. For millions who couldn’t make it this year, the message from the mountains remains clear: the call of the Char Dham never fades—it simply waits for the snow to melt.

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