The administration normally expects around 25,000 visitors a day at Kainchi Dham. (File image)
The Nainital district administration has proposed capping the number of pilgrims visiting Uttarakhand’s Kainchi Dham at 20,000-25,000 a day under a registration system modelled on the Char Dham pilgrimage mechanism as it looks to regulate growing crowds at the Kumaon shrine and ease traffic congestion, The Indian Express has learnt.
“The idea is to register around 20,000-25,000 people. Once the number is reached, the portal will be locked,” official sources told The Indian Express, explaining how the proposed cap would work.
The registration system is expected to model the mechanism used for Uttarakhand’s Char Dham pilgrimage, allowing the administration to estimate the number of devotees expected on a given day and regulate visitor flow when crowds swell. Currently, pilgrims can visit Kainchi Dham without any prior registration.
The proposal follows a sharp rise in footfall at the shrine associated with spiritual leader Neem Karoli Baba. According to figures accessed by The Indian Express, 24.34 lakh people visited Kainchi Dham in the first six months of 2026, compared with around eight lakh visitors during the entire previous year.
The administration normally expects around 25,000 visitors a day at the shrine. During the long weekend beginning October 2, the daily footfall crossed 35,000, overwhelming roads connecting Kainchi with Bhowali, Bhimtal and Mukteshwar.
Officials said the meeting, chaired by Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Ajay Tamta on Saturday, also discussed the registration proposal and the need for alternative routes.
Tamta, who represents Almora-Pithoragarh in the Lok Sabha, raised concerns about ensuring that residents and travellers heading towards Almora, Ranikhet and Kausani are not stranded because of congestion around Kainchi Dham, according to officials familiar with the discussions.
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The administration is considering measures to divert through traffic away from the road leading to the shrine while ensuring that residents can continue to commute without disruption.
A key component of the plan is the 18-km Ratighat bypass, which is expected to provide an alternative route towards Almora, Ranikhet and Kausani and reduce the movement of through traffic on the Kainchi stretch.
Earlier, Lalit Mohan Rayal told The Indian Express that the Forest Department had granted the required permission for the bypass. About 8 km of the bypass has already been surfaced, while work remains on approximately 10 km. The state government is considering an estimate of Rs 21 crore for surfacing the remaining stretch. If approved, the road could become functional in four to six months, he said.
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The administration is also examining the possibility of adjusting the temple’s opening hours, including a proposal to open it at 4 am instead of the existing 6 am. However, the timing would have to be discussed with the temple committee, which has a role in determining the shrine’s operating hours and rituals.
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Officials said the proposed measures would have to balance crowd management with the convenience of pilgrims, residents and commuters travelling through the area.
The registration portal is expected to take about a month to develop once the government approves the proposal. The administration plans to assess the system’s implementation during weekends before extending it to other periods of high footfall.