The registration process of pilgrims for Kedarnath yatra has been halted till tomorrow due to bad weather conditions, said Rudraprayag District Magistrate, Mayur Dikshit. The decision regarding resumption of registration will be taken keeping in view the weather conditions, he added, as per a report by ANI.
“Due to bad weather conditions in Kedarnath, the registration for pilgrims has been stopped till May 3. People with heart problems or breathing problems need to be extra careful. Extra caution is necessary for coming to a height of 11,000 feet,” Dixit said.
Registrations are being done only for Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham at the Passenger Registration Centre located in Rishikesh.
The move to pause the registration came after intermittent snowfall and rain continued at the Himalayan temples of Badrinath and Kedarnath on Monday which prompted the authorities to issue an appeal to Chardham pilgrims to proceed on their journey only after taking necessary precautions.
In the wake of prevalent weather conditions, the DM had on Monday appealed to pilgrims coming to visit Kedarnath to stay where they are for the time being for their safety.
A yellow alert was issued by the meteorological (MeT) office for the state for Monday forecasting hailstorms, rain and snowfall at places located above 3,500 metres.
MeT office Director Bikram Singh said this kind of weather is going to continue till May 4. Pilgrims should avoid going to the high altitude-temples during this period, he said.
Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee chairman Ajendra Ajay also advised pilgrims coming to Kedarnath to proceed on their journey only after taking a weather update and making arrangements for their stay in advance in order to avoid any inconvenience.
Snowfall and rain, which had triggered a landslide on the Badrinath national highway on Sunday, disrupting the yatra to the temple for nine hours, continued on Monday too.
The Chardham yatra is a pilgrimage to the Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath temples.