Uttarakhand: Kainchi Dham May Cap Daily Visitors At 25,000, Plan Online Registration To Ease Traffic Congestion

Nainital, October 13, 2026: The Nainital district administration in Uttarakhand has suggested capping daily visitors at the popular Kainchi Dham shrine to between 20,000 and 25,000. The aim is to curb the surge in crowds and ease traffic congestion on roads leading to the temple. Visitors would need to register online, similar to the Char Dham pilgrimage process, and registration would halt once the daily limit is reached.

Kainchi Dham saw 24.34 lakh visitors in the first six months of 2026, up from around eight lakh in the previous year. However, during a recent long weekend, over 35,000 visitors arrived daily, causing heavy traffic. The administration hopes online registration will help estimate visitor numbers and manage crowds, particularly on weekends and holidays.

The plan is to register 20,000-25,000 visitors each day and close the registration portal when that number is hit. Officials will test the system during weekends before rolling it out to other busy periods. Authorities are also considering developing alternative routes, such as an 18-km Ratighat bypass, to reduce traffic around the shrine.

The bypass, already approved for construction, could be completed within four to six months. The temple's opening hours might also be adjusted to 4 am to accommodate more visitors, though any changes will require temple committee approval. The goal is to balance the shrine's popularity with the needs of local residents and other travelers while ensuring smooth movement around Kainchi Dham.