With almost twice as many pilgrims traveling on the Char Dham yatra in Uttarakhand since it began on May 10, the state government reported the deaths of 11 pilgrims within the first five days. Here are the top ten developments: 


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1. Massive Participation: A whopping 3,34,732 pilgrims from India and overseas opted to offer prayers to the almighty in the first six days of the pilgrimage.


2. VIP Darshan Ban: Given the huge influx of pilgrims, the government has taken a firm decision to discontinue the practice of VIP darshan at the Char Dham temples. 


3. Videography Restrictions: A strict ban on videography and making social media reels within a 50 metre radius of the shrines has been imposed. 


4. Offline Registration Suspension: CM Dhami has ordered officials to suspend offline registration for three days. 


5. Surge in Pilgrims: Chief secretary Radha Raturi said, “I would like to inform that this year, there is continuous surge in the number of pilgrims visiting the Holy Char Dham in Uttarakhand. For better management, we have decided not to have any ‘VIP Darshan’ till 31 May, 2024.


6. Smooth Conduct of Yatra: The Char Dham Yatra is being conducted smoothly with adequate arrangements are made to ensure systematic darshan for the pilgrims. 


7. Misinformation Crime: Raturi stated that making reels with misleading information is a crime and is wrong near temples.


8. Yatra Registration: The holy Char Dham yatra commenced on May 10. Devotees had to register for the yatra on April 25 this year. 


9. Surge In Registration: More than 270,000 devotees had registered for it by Thursday evening.


10. Health Advisory: A special health advisory regarding the elderly devotees with a medical history was issued. The elderly were advised to get themselves tested before embarking on the yatra and follow the guidelines issued by the health department of Uttarakhand.