Uttarkashi, March 27 The management committee of Yamunotri Dham, one of the Char Dhams located in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand, has decided that every person coming to the temple with devotion will be allowed to visit, regardless of their religion or caste.
Yamunotri Temple Committee spokesperson Purushottam Uniyal said, "Every person undertaking the Char Dham Yatra is a follower of Sanatan Dharma, and we have decided that whoever comes to Yamunotri Dham with devotion will be welcomed according to the tradition of 'Atithi Devo Bhava' (Guest is God)."
He added that no devotee will be asked about their religion or caste at Yamunotri, and they will be given darshan of Goddess Yamuna.
Earlier, conditional entry for non-followers of 'Sanatan Dharma' was allowed in Badrinath Dham, Kedarnath Dham, and Gangotri Dham.
Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Chairman Hemant Dwivedi said that if any non-Hindu gives an affidavit of their faith in Sanatan Dharma, they will be allowed to visit the temples.
At the same time, the Gangotri Temple Committee has announced that non-Sanatanists will only be allowed entry into the temple after consuming Panchagavya (a prasad made by mixing cow dung, cow urine, milk, curd, and ghee).
This year, the Char Dham Yatra will begin on April 19, on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, with the opening of the doors of the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines in the Uttarkashi district.
The doors of the Badrinath shrine will open on April 23, and those of the Kedarnath shrine will open on April 22.
Online registration for Char Dham Yatra began on March 6, and by 5 pm on Thursday, over 9.32 lakh devotees have registered.
Apart from this, more than 4,000 devotees have also registered for the Hemkund Sahib Yatra, starting from May 23.