New Delhi, Sept. 23 -- Badrinath Dham has received 17,79,805 pilgrims as of September 22, according to figures cited by the Uttarakhand government, taking the shrine's annual footfall above previous records. The pilgrimage began on April 23, and the government said the figure was reached in 153 days, with the temple's closing still several weeks away.

Tourism Department data cited by the government shows that Badrinath received 6,95,332 visitors in 2000, the year Uttarakhand was formed. The number rose to 7,68,107 in 2007 and crossed 10 lakh in 2008 and 2010. The 2014 disaster was followed by a sharp fall, with 1,59,575 pilgrims recorded that year.

The annual count later reached 10,48,051 in 2018 and 12,44,993 in 2019. During the Covid-...