<p>Dehradun: The Char Dham Yatra began on Wednesday with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri temples in Garhwal Himalayas for devotees on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya.</p>.<p>Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited both temples on the opening day and performed a puja praying for the well-being and prosperity of all.</p>.<p>"We wait for this day throughout the year and it has finally arrived. Char Dham Yatra is like a grand festival for us. Security of pilgrims is our priority," he told reporters in Yamunotri soon after offering prayers.</p>.<p>The gates of Gangotri were opened at 10.30 am and those of Yamunotri at 11.55 am amid traditional rituals, committees running the affairs of the temples said.</p>.Pahalgam terror attack: CCS reviews Jammu & Kashmir security situation.<p>The doors of the other two Dhams -- Kedarnath and Badrinath -- will open on May 2 and May 4, respectively. The four temples remain closed for six months during winter.</p>.<p>Nearly 6,000 police personnel, 17 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and 10 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed on the Yatra routes for the security of pilgrims.</p>.<p>Besides, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel have also been deployed in more than 65 accident-prone areas.</p>.<p>More than 22 lakh devotees from across the country and abroad have already registered for the Yatra this year, officials said.</p>.<p>The number of pilgrims this year is likely to reach a record 60 lakh, Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee's media in-charge Harish Gaur said.</p>.<p>Last year, 48 lakh pilgrims came for the Char Dham Yatra in spite of its disruption for more than a fortnight due to damage to the trek route to Kedarnath following heavy rain. </p>
<p>Dehradun: The Char Dham Yatra began on Wednesday with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri temples in Garhwal Himalayas for devotees on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya.</p>.<p>Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited both temples on the opening day and performed a puja praying for the well-being and prosperity of all.</p>.<p>"We wait for this day throughout the year and it has finally arrived. Char Dham Yatra is like a grand festival for us. Security of pilgrims is our priority," he told reporters in Yamunotri soon after offering prayers.</p>.<p>The gates of Gangotri were opened at 10.30 am and those of Yamunotri at 11.55 am amid traditional rituals, committees running the affairs of the temples said.</p>.Pahalgam terror attack: CCS reviews Jammu & Kashmir security situation.<p>The doors of the other two Dhams -- Kedarnath and Badrinath -- will open on May 2 and May 4, respectively. The four temples remain closed for six months during winter.</p>.<p>Nearly 6,000 police personnel, 17 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and 10 companies of paramilitary forces have been deployed on the Yatra routes for the security of pilgrims.</p>.<p>Besides, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel have also been deployed in more than 65 accident-prone areas.</p>.<p>More than 22 lakh devotees from across the country and abroad have already registered for the Yatra this year, officials said.</p>.<p>The number of pilgrims this year is likely to reach a record 60 lakh, Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee's media in-charge Harish Gaur said.</p>.<p>Last year, 48 lakh pilgrims came for the Char Dham Yatra in spite of its disruption for more than a fortnight due to damage to the trek route to Kedarnath following heavy rain. </p>