VIP Darshan Banned, Video Shooting Curtailed
On Thursday, the Uttarakhand Government announced a prohibition on VIP darshan at the Char Dham temples and banned videography and the creation of social media reels within a 50-meter radius of the shrines due to an increase in the number of pilgrims, officials reported.
In a letter addressed to her counterparts across all states and Union territories, Chief Secretary Radha Raturi stated, "I would like to inform you that this year we are witnessing a continuous surge in the number of pilgrims visiting the Holy Char Dham in Uttarakhand. To ensure better management, we have decided to suspend 'VIP Darshan' until May 31, 2024."
"The Char Dham Yatra is progressing smoothly, with arrangements in place to facilitate systematic darshan for pilgrims. However, it has come to our attention that videography and reels for social media are being made within the temple premises, leading to crowds gathering and causing inconvenience to devotees. Therefore, in consideration of devotees' convenience, the letter further stated, the making of videography and reels for social media within a 50-meter radius of the temple premises in Char Dham is completely banned."
Earlier, Raturi had announced that the use of mobile phones within 200 meters of Char Dham shrines would be prohibited. Furthermore, he emphasized that the administration would take legal action against individuals caught making reels and spreading misinformation about the Char Dham Yatra.
"Creating reels with misleading information is a punishable offense. If you embark on a pilgrimage with devotion, filming reels near temples is inappropriate," she stated.
The Char Dham Yatra commenced on May 10. In the initial six days of the pilgrimage, up until Wednesday, a total of 3, 34,732 individuals from both India and abroad visited the shrines to offer prayers. Registration for the Yatra began on April 25, and by Thursday evening, over 270,000 devotees had registered for it.
In a separate letter addressed to the chief secretaries of other states on April 30, the chief secretary emphasized, "Elderly devotees with a medical history should undergo testing before undertaking the Yatra and adhere to the guidelines issued by the health department of Uttarakhand."
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