Record 13 lakh bookings for Chardham Pilgrimage in eight days
The State Tourism Department called it a sign of record breaking flow of pilgrims to the four shrines as the pilgrimage season is scheduled to start on May 10.
The continuous snowfall in the Kedarnath area for the last two days stopped to some extent on Sunday, but after noon snowfall started again due to which the labourers engaged in construction work faced a lot of problems, according to district authorities.
“Due to continuous snowfall, there is a problem in the preparations for the Kedarnath Yatra starting on April 25,” officials said. Since Friday morning Uttarakhand witnessed a change in weather with the plains receiving rainfall while the mountains witnessed snowfall.
Due to heavy snowfall in Kedarnath Dham, the preparations for the Yatra have also been affected. The construction work going on in the place has been temporarily halted.
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Several plains in Uttarakhand witnessed heavy rainfall. Several vehicles got buried under the hotel canopy debris which collapsed due to heavy rainfall near Mussoorie Library Chowk.
Officials said that snowfall started in Badrinath Dham also as soon as the mood of the weather changed. The doors of Lord Badrinath are to be opened on 27 April.
Due to repeated bad weather and severe cold, the work of travel preparations and master plan is being affected, they added.
Reportedly, the temperature is falling low with heavy snow ongoing on other peaks including Nar Narayan, Neelkanth and Mana.
Earlier on March 11, the Rudraprayag district administration had started preparations for the Chardham Yatra.
The Chardham Yatra will begin on April 22 with the opening of the Yamunotri and Gangotri temples. Kedarnath will open on April 25 and Badrinath on April 27.
The Chardham Yatra in Uttarakhand is one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimages in India. This pilgrimage is a tour of four holy sites – Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri – nestled high up in the Himalayas.
The high-altitude shrines remain shut for around six months every year, opening in summer (April or May) and closing with the onset of winter (October or November).
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