Since the closure of the revered Char Dham shrines, Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, over 34,000 pilgrims have visited their winter seats in Uttarakhand. This resurgence of spiritual tourism in the Himalayan state is attributed to the promotion of winter pilgrimage by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which began last year. The pilgrimage is expected to continue drawing visitors over the next two and a half months.

The Char Dham Yatra is one of Hinduism's most significant pilgrimages. Typically, the closure of the four shrines for the winter season leads to desolation in the mountainous region. However, the growing popularity of visiting the winter seats has brought vibrancy to areas like Jyotirmath, Ukhimath, Mukhwa, and Kharsali.

Ukhimath has recorded the highest number of pilgrims, with 20,338 visitors. Following Ukhimath in popularity are Jyotirmath, Kharsali, and Mukhwa. The winter pilgrimage began in 2024-25 and attracted 73,381 pilgrims to Uttarakhand during that winter season.

The Badrinath temple is scheduled to reopen on April 23, 2026. Registration for the Char Dham Yatra is mandatory for booking helicopter tickets for Kedarnath. Helicopter services will operate from Guptkashi, Phata, and Sirsi helipads.

In related news, non-Hindus are now prohibited from entering Gangotri Dham and Mukhba village, its winter seat, following a unanimous decision by the Shri Gangotri Temple Committee. This has sparked discussions about similar restrictions at other major shrines, with the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee considering a proposal to bar non-Hindus from entering Badrinath, Kedarnath, and other temples under its governance.