Dehradun (Gurpreet Singh): The number of devotees visiting Uttarakhand’s Badrinath Dham has crossed a new historic milestone, with 17,79,805 pilgrims having offered prayers at the shrine so far this year.
According to figures released by the Uttarakhand Tourism Department, the latest count has surpassed the previous records for the shrine, even though around one-and-a-half to nearly two months remain before the temple is scheduled to close for the winter season.
The Badrinath pilgrimage began on April 23 and completed 153 days on September 22. The latest figures come amid an increase in the daily number of pilgrims as weather conditions improve.
Badrinath Pilgrimage Crosses Previous Records
Badrinath recorded 6,95,332 visitors in 2000, the year Uttarakhand was formed. The number rose to 7,68,107 in 2007 and crossed the 10-lakh mark in some subsequent years.
However, the 2013 disaster and its aftermath significantly affected pilgrimage numbers. In 2014, only 1,59,575 devotees visited the shrine.
The numbers recovered in the following years, with 10,48,051 pilgrims in 2018 and 12,44,993 in 2019.
Covid Pandemic Hit Pilgrimage Numbers
The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in another sharp decline in pilgrimage numbers.
Badrinath recorded 1,55,055 visitors in 2020, followed by 1,99,409 in 2021.
Visitor numbers increased substantially from 2022 onwards. According to Tourism Department data, 17,63,578 devotees visited Badrinath in 2022, followed by 17,80,429 in 2023.
The shrine recorded 17,74,264 visitors in 2024, while 17,78,298 pilgrims visited in 2025.
Daily Footfall Continues To Rise
The latest milestone comes as pilgrimage activity continues during the ongoing Char Dham Yatra. On Tuesday alone, 6,685 devotees visited Badrinath Dham.
The Uttarakhand government has attributed the sustained pilgrimage numbers to improvements in travel management and expansion of facilities for devotees.
With the temple’s winter closure still some time away, the final pilgrimage tally for Badrinath in 2026 could rise further.
