Dehradun, May 21 -- The first month of the ongoing Char Dham Yatra 2026 has recorded a 3.7% decline in pilgrim arrivals compared to the corresponding period last year, according to a comparative analysis released by the Dehradun-based Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation.
The analysis shows that 16,43,182 pilgrims visited Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri between April 19 and May 18, 2026. In comparison, 17,07,011 pilgrims had visited the char dhams during the first month of the 2025 Yatra period, reflecting a reduction of 63,829 pilgrims this year.
Among the four shrines, Kedarnath witnessed a rise in pilgrim arrivals. Kedarnath recorded 6,65,140 pilgrims in the first month of 2026 compared to 6,49,161 during th...