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Over 24,000 Hindus settled abroad registered for the Char Dham pilgrimage starting April 30
Every year, lakhs of Hindu pilgrims come to Uttarakhand to visit four revered shrines: Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri. Besides, Sikh pilgrims too visit Hemkund Sahib Gurdwara. (File image/Local18)
The 77 Pakistani Hindus who expressed interest in participating in the Char Dham pilgrimage won’t be able to visit now. This comes after India imposed visa restrictions on Pakistani nationals amid growing tension between the two countries following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
Every year, lakhs of Hindu pilgrims come to Uttarakhand to visit four revered shrines: Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri. Besides, Sikh pilgrims too visit Hemkund Sahib Gurdwara. Hindu and Sikh pilgrims have to register on the Uttarakhand government portal. As per details available, till April 26, around 21 lakh pilgrims, mostly from India, and around 24,000 from foreign nations have registered for the Char Dham pilgrimage.
Among these, Hindus and Sikhs settled in Muslim-majority nations have shown interest in the Char Dham pilgrimage. 640 pilgrims from Afghanistan, 77 from Pakistan, 451 from Algeria, 326 from Bangladesh, four from Iraq, 27 from Kuwait, and eight from Iran have registered. Among the 77 Pakistani nationals, one pilgrim intended to visit the Sikh shrine.
“The activities inside Pakistan create trouble for all. In the changed scenario, the pilgrims won’t be able to visit (Char Dham). It is high time Pakistani nationals should spread the message about (activities). India has imposed visa restrictions; soon it could be other nations,” BJP state president and MP Mahendra Bhatt told News18.
However, the secretary of the Char Dham priest body, Brijesh Sati, said, “We understand India’s position in the current scenario. However, if possible, the government may reconsider the case of Pakistani Hindus who wish to come to Uttarakhand.”
The Char Dham pilgrimage is one of the most popular destinations on the bucket list of Hindus. The data shows that pilgrims from 184 nations have registered on the state portals. So far, the maximum number of registered pilgrims, 4,788, is from the United States, followed by 3,925 from Nepal, 2,806 from Malaysia, and 1,337 from the United Kingdom.
(With inputs from Deepankar Bhatt)
- Location :
Dehradun, India, India
