India, March 6 -- The Char Dham Yatra registration process began on Friday as the Uttarakhand government opened the online portal at 7 am for devotees planning to undertake the annual pilgrimage to the Himalayan shrines.

This year's pilgrimage will begin on April 19 with the opening of the portals of Yamunotri Temple and Gangotri Temple. The portals of Kedarnath Temple will open on April 22, followed by Badrinath Temple on April 23.

The government has initiated mandatory online registration through multiple digital platforms to ensure smooth management of the pilgrimage, Officer on Special Duty for the Char Dham Yatra in the tourism department, Prajapati Nautiyal, said.

"To facilitate a seamless process, the online registration for the...