An alarming number of devotees turn up at Kedarnath as Char Dham Yatra starts
Source : Times Travel
Date : 13th May, 2022
Date : 13th May, 2022
The historic Char Dham pilgrimage in Uttarakhand began in the first week of this month, gathering an unprecedented number of pilgrims. One of the Char Dhams, Kedarnath, reopened on May 6 after being closed for the winter. What's more troubling is that all four major religious sites in the hill state are located in ecologically sensitive zones, and experts have recommended against large crowds there.
According to locals, Kedargram, a hamlet of a village, can only accommodate 10,000 people per day; despite this, an alarming 20,000 people descended on Gaurikund, one of the most important pitstops on the road to Kedarnath. Authorities were reportedly forced to stop devotees at Gaurikund, and a large number of people were reportedly vying for hotels and other overnight accommodations.
Per a local source, many guests were forced to sleep in the open because there were no accommodations available, and individuals were observed braving the cold, with the reported minimum temperature dropping to 2 degrees Celsius at night. It was also claimed that worshippers had to pay an unusually large sum of money in tariffs.
The dire situation is a vivid reminder of the tragedy that struck Kedarnath in 2013 when flash floods and landslides destroyed havoc. The official death toll from the accident is more than 6000 persons, with 300,000 pilgrims trapped in the area requiring enormous rescue operations. The flash floods are the country's biggest natural calamity since the tsunami of 2004.
It's worth noting that the Char Dham pilgrimage is open to visitors for six months each summer, and that visits are recommended from July through September rather than the peak months of May and June. Pilgrims can also better prepare for the journey and make more cost-effective travel, lodging, and food arrangements. Locals say October is one of the greatest months to visit Kedarnath because the temple gets only a few thousand tourists every day.
According to locals, Kedargram, a hamlet of a village, can only accommodate 10,000 people per day; despite this, an alarming 20,000 people descended on Gaurikund, one of the most important pitstops on the road to Kedarnath. Authorities were reportedly forced to stop devotees at Gaurikund, and a large number of people were reportedly vying for hotels and other overnight accommodations.
Per a local source, many guests were forced to sleep in the open because there were no accommodations available, and individuals were observed braving the cold, with the reported minimum temperature dropping to 2 degrees Celsius at night. It was also claimed that worshippers had to pay an unusually large sum of money in tariffs.
The dire situation is a vivid reminder of the tragedy that struck Kedarnath in 2013 when flash floods and landslides destroyed havoc. The official death toll from the accident is more than 6000 persons, with 300,000 pilgrims trapped in the area requiring enormous rescue operations. The flash floods are the country's biggest natural calamity since the tsunami of 2004.
It's worth noting that the Char Dham pilgrimage is open to visitors for six months each summer, and that visits are recommended from July through September rather than the peak months of May and June. Pilgrims can also better prepare for the journey and make more cost-effective travel, lodging, and food arrangements. Locals say October is one of the greatest months to visit Kedarnath because the temple gets only a few thousand tourists every day.
