The homestays and hotels on the route of Chardham Yatra to Badrinath and Kedarnath will not be allowed to serve liquor to tourists during the pilgrimage season starting from April 30. They will have to mandatorily display their registration details and install CCTV cameras with voice recorders.

An instruction to this effect has been issued by Chamoli District Police to the hotel owners and homestay operators not to serve or allow consumption of liquor on their premises by the tourists and pilgrims coming for Chardham pilgrimage. The police have directed them to display the registration details of their facilities at the counter for the visitors. Besides hoteliers, homestays and shelter home owners enroute Kedarnath and Badrinath have been directed to put in place CCTV cameras with voice recorders compulsorily to ensure security of the pilgrims.

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The decision to ban liquor for tourists and pilgrims was taken following a meeting between the owners and of hotels, rain shelters, homestays, and lodges and the police at Gopeshwar regarding ongoing preparations for the Chardham Yatra. Senior police officials present in the meeting categorically stated that legal action would be taken against the homestay owners and hoteliers  if liquor is served or sold at  their facilities.

Gomeshwar SHO Vinod Chaurasia said, “All the hotel and homestay owners have been asked to create a display mentioning registration details of their establishments at the visitor counter. To ensure security for the pilgrims, CCTV cameras with voice recorders will also be mandatorily installed in every hotel, homestays and restaurants enroute Chardham Pilgrimage.”

Chaurisia informed that hoteliers, homestays, and other lodging facility providers have been asked to keep records like identity cards (ID) of every tourists and pilgrims in their individual capacities as well as those coming in groups with other details like vehicle numbers, time and dates of their arrival and departure in the register. In addition to this, the rate list of the facilities available will have to be displayed by the hotels and homestays for the benefits of the tourists.

Chardham Pilgrimage Season 2025 is set to take off from April 30 with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri. Kedarnath portals will open on May 2 while that of Badrinath will open on May 4.