Dehradun: Uttarakhand is steadily progressing towards becoming the World’s Spiritual Capital, with a record rise in the number of pilgrims visiting major religious destinations across the state. Alongside the Char Dham Yatra, prominent pilgrimage sites have witnessed a significant surge in footfall. Visitor numbers at Jageshwar Dham and Triyuginarayan Temple have increased by nearly 2.5 times, while Dhari Devi Temple has recorded a twofold rise and Purnagiri Dham around a 1.5-fold increase.
According to the Tourism Department, during the first half of 2026, 1.74 lakh devotees visited Jageshwar Dham, 3.40 lakh visited Triyuginarayan Temple, 5.42 lakh offered prayers at Dhari Devi Temple, and 20.91 lakh pilgrims visited Purnagiri Dham. Tourist arrivals have also increased significantly in Muni Ki Reti, Tapovan, and Shivpuri near Rishikesh.
The Char Dham Yatra has also set new milestones this year. So far, over 45.84 lakh pilgrims have completed the pilgrimage to the four shrines. Yamunotri Dham recorded 6.54 lakh visitors by August 2, the highest ever, while Badrinath Dham welcomed more than 15.52 lakh pilgrims within 100 days, over three lakh more than during the same period last year.
Religious tourism has also grown at Adi Kailash and Kainchi Dham. More than 52,000 pilgrims visited Adi Kailash in just two months this year, while 24.34 lakh devotees visited Kainchi Dham between January and June.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the state government is working continuously to develop Uttarakhand as the World’s Spiritual Capital in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said the government is focusing on the development of major temples, expansion of infrastructure at pilgrimage sites, and strengthening road and transport connectivity to provide better facilities for devotees.
