India, May 25 -- The Char Dham Yatra in Uttrakhand is witnessing a steep drop in the number of pilgrims this year. The recently concluded Mahakumbh in Prayagraj and heightened India-Pakistan tensions are likely key reasons behind the noticeable decline, according to officials and experts. In the first three weeks of the Yatra, pilgrim numbers have dropped by 21 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year.
The trend has persisted since the first week of the yatra this year. According to Dehradun-based Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation, a total of 10,91,406 pilgrims visited the Char Dham shrines of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath between April 30 and May 20 this year. This is significantly lower tha...