Kedarnath Yatra 2023: U'khand Govt Stops Registration Of Pilgrims As Thick Snow Shrouds Shrine — WATCH

Registration for the pilgrims of the Kedarnath Yatra has been stopped from April 24 to April 30 in Rishikesh and Haridwar because of heavy rain and snowfall in the Garhwal Himalayas.

The Kedarnath Yatra was stopped after the pedestrian route and temple were covered under a thick layer of snowfall. ( Image Source :PTI )

Registration for the pilgrims of the Kedarnath Yatra was stopped on Sunday (April 24) until April 30 in Rishikesh and Haridwar because of heavy rain and snowfall in the higher regions of the Garhwal Himalayas. The decision to stop the Yatra was taken after the pedestrian route and temple were covered under a thick layer of three to four feet of snowfall and a warning was issued by the Meteorological Department of the Uttarakhand Government, reported news agency ANI. However, the Kedarnath Dham will be opened to the public on Tuesday.

Additional Commissioner (Administration) of Garhwal Division and Additional Chief Executive Officer of Chardham Yatra Administration Organisation Narendra Singh Kaviriyal said the decision was taken to suspend the pilgrims’ registration due to bad weather conditions and heavy snowfall, reported news agency PTI.

#WATCH | Uttarakhand: Kedarnath covered in a thick layer of snow due to heavy snowfall pic.twitter.com/2wAmj5jqyM

— ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) April 24, 2023

He further said the government will review the weather conditions in the coming days and take a decision according to the situation in the interest of the pilgrims.

An official spokesperson of the Uttarakhand government asked all the pilgrims to check the weather conditions and forecasts before initiating the Yatra. The government also urged the devotees to carry adequate warm clothes, reported PTI.

It further said that the pilgrims might have to face all kinds of challenges while taking part in the Yatra because of bad weather conditions. Although the government has made adequate medical arrangements along all the yatra routes, reported PTI.

The state government said it is committed to ensuring smooth, safe, and uninterrupted travel for the pilgrims. It has assured that the arrangements are regularly monitored at the highest level.

Incessant rain and heavy snowfall in the higher regions of the Garhwal Himalayas have led to a drop in temperatures. Meanwhile, registration of pilgrims for the other three Dhams including Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri is currently underway.

The shrines of Gangotri and Yamunotri opened on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya on last Saturday, and the Badrinath Dham will open on April 27. Over 16 lakh people from India and abroad have done the registration for the Chardham Yatra so far.