Char Dham Yatra halted as snowfall, rain hit pilgrimage on way to Kedarnath, Yamunotri

New Delhi, May 24: Thousands of pilgrims are forced to stop their Char Dham Yatra due to Snowfall and rains on Tuesday. They are halted en route to Kedarnath and Yamunotri temples in the Garhwal Himalayas as a precautionary measure.

As per the reports, Kedarnath started receiving snow early on Tuesday and the lower areas were lashed by rains prompting the authorities to stop the pilgrims for their safety in Gaurikund and Sonprayag. Pilgrims going to Yamunotri were also halted in Janakichatti, the last stopover on way to the famous shrine, as the weather turned worse in the afternoon.

Pilgrims' enroute Yamunotri were stopped in Janakichatti as a precautionary measure and will be allowed to continue their journey after water clears, Badkot subdivisional magistrate (SDM) Shalini Negi said.

Pilgrims halted on way to the shrine on Monday due to bad weather and were permitted to go to the temple on Tuesday morning, she said, adding they have already returned after offering prayers there.

The peaks around Badrinath also received snow.

The pilgrims on way to Kedarnath were halted in Sonprayag and Gaurikund due to bad weather. As it is not safe to go beyond these points at this stage, they were prevented from continuing their journey, Rudraprayag District Magistrate Mayur Dikshit said. However, they will be allowed to visit the temple once the weather improves, he assured.

This year, an unprecedented number of pilgrims are visiting the Himalayan temples as the Covid-19 restrictions are no longer in place. More than nine lakh pilgrims have already paid obeisance at the Himalayan temples in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand since the start of the pilgrimage on May 3. PTI