For faster and secure registrations, the Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board has introduced Aadhaar-Based registration for Char Dham Yatra and Hemkund Sahib Yatra 2025
The Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) has introduced Aadhar Authentication and eKYC to register for the Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib Yatra in Uttarakhand, to streamline the registration process and for providing a faster and secure means of registration for those going on this pilgrimage circuit in Uttarakhand.
In Hindi, 'char' means four and 'dham' refers to religious destinations. Yatra can mean a tour or a pilgrimage. The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand is one of the most prominent pilgrimage tours in the Uttarakhand state of India.
This is a pilgrimage tour of four sacred sites in Uttarakhand, which are : Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. These holy sites are located at high altitudes in the Himalayas.
With this Aadhaar-Based eKYC, the UTDB aims to reduce the registration time and to enhance the overall experience for the pilgrims. As per the Ministry of Electronics & IT's report today on 26 March 2025, Aadhaar-based online registration enables the authorities to monitor pilgrim movements and be better prepared to avoid overcrowding at the temples, and it is also said to be useful to improve weather related information, especially in the high-altitude regions.
The registration for Uttarakhand's Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib Yatra 2025 had begun on March 20. As per the data given by the Ministry of Electronics & IT, over 750,000 pilgrims have already availed Aadhaar based online registration facility till today morning on 26 March 2025.
The official registration portal by Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board (UTDB) for Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand (https://registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in) and the "Tourist Care Uttarakhand" mobile app are using this Aadhaar-Based eKYC facility powered by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
With this move, they aim to help curb duplicitous registrations and thus allow more genuine pilgrims to go on this pilgrimage travel. Aadhaar-based digital verification is also expected to make the registration process faster and reduce paperwork.
Apart from the online option, one can still register offline at the designated centres.
As per Uttarakhand Tourism's post on X on March 21, 2025, Aadhaar authenticated registration is compulsory for this Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand. Also, Chardham & Shri Hemkund Sahib Yatra Registration is mandatory for booking helicopter services on IRCTC, and only the IRCTC's HeliYatra website (heliyatra.irctc.co.in) provides online helicopter ticket booking for Shri Kedarnath Dham and Shri Hemkund Sahib.
#Chardham & #Hemkund Sahib Yatra online Aadhar based registration is officially open for all those eager to embark on a spiritual journey. To ensure a smooth & hassle-free experience, register online at https://t.co/2WtYI7S580, or download the TouristCareUttarakhand app. pic.twitter.com/h7tOO6V0yN
— Uttarakhand Tourism (@UTDBofficial) March 21, 2025
Badrinath in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, is a temple town in the Himalayan range, which is at an elevation of around 3,100 metres (10,170 feet). Badrinath is in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, India. It is located in the spectacular Garhwal Himalayas, on the banks of the Alaknanda river, between Nar and Narayana mountain ranges. Believed to have been established by the famous 8th century Hindu philosopher Adi Shankaracharya, Badrinath Temple has Shri Vishnu as its main deity.
Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, is one of the most revered temple destinations of India, which is also located in the spectacular Garhwal Himalayas. A town is built around the revered Kedarnath temple, at an elevation of around 3,580 metres (11,745 feet), near the Chorabari glacier, which is the source of the river Mandakini. The ancient Kedarnath temple is built beautifully in stone and it is dedicated to the Hindu God Shiva, and a conical rock formation inside the temple is worshipped as Shiva in his “Sadashiva” form. It is also one of the 12 Jyotirlingas of Shiva in India.
Gangotri in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, is the source of river Ganga (anglicised name : Ganges), which is the most sacred river in Indian culture. The source of the river Ganga is River Bhagirathi, which originates from the Gangotri Glacier. Gangotri is a small town with the temple of Ganga the River Goddess. Gangotri, at an elevation of around 3,415 metres (11,204 feet), is also amongst the spectacular Garhwal Himalayas, with picturesque peaks, glaciers and forests.
Yamunotri in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand, is at an elevation of around 3,293 metres (10,804 feet). It is the source of river Yamuna, it lies by a narrow gorge close to the source of the river Yamuna. The Yamunotri Temple is dedicated to Yamuna, the second-most sacred river after the Ganges.
Hemkund Sahib Ji is a highly revered pilgrimage site which is at an elevation of around 4,632 metres (15,200 feet) in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand state. The Gurudwara at the holy site is open for around 5 months between the months of May and September every year and around 1.5 to 2 lakh pilgrims visit it annually.
The trek to Hemkund Sahib Ji is also a gateway to the famous Valley of Flowers, a national park that is a UNESCO World Heritage site in the spectacular mountain ranges of Garhwal Himalayas.
Recently, two world-class ropeways projects with gondola lifts were approved for connecting Sonprayag to Kedarnath and Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib Ji.
With the help of Aadhaar-linked registration, the authorities aim for better planning and management of accommodations, transport, food, and medical aid, based on the actual number of registered pilgrims, thus avoiding wastage or shortages of resources. It may also be useful in dealing with emergency situations in a better way.
This Char Dham pilgrimage tourist circuit of Uttarakhand is also called as the "Chota Char Dham". The Char Dham pilgrimage circuit across India has four important temples city or centres, which are: Puri (in Odisha), Rameshwaram (in Tamil Nadu), Dwarka (in Gujarat), and Badrinath (in Uttarkhand), which is credited to the great 8th century Hindu philosopher Adi Shankaracharya.
- Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib Yatra 2025: Aadhaar-Based eKYC introduced for faster and secure registration - Ministry of Electronics & IT, on PIB - Press Information Bureau. Posted On: 26 MAR 2025 4:22PM by PIB Delhi.