Kedarnath Yatra halted as heavy rains lash Uttarakhand; orange alert issued
Highlights
- Uttarakhand government announced that the Kedarnath Yatra has been halted.
- The government issued an 'orange alert' for today and tomorrow (Monday and Tuesday) for rains.
- Govt advised the devotees not to hike to the temple now.
The Uttarakhand government on Monday announced that the Kedarnath Yatra has been halted as heavy rains lashed the state. The government issued an 'orange alert' for today and tomorrow (Monday and Tuesday).
Rudraprayag CO Pramod Kumar said that devotees on foot have been stopped, and were returned to their hotels. He advised the devotees not to hike to the temple now.
"We have stopped around 5,000 people from Guptkashi. Heli services are also closed for now," he added.
Earlier in the day, the mercury dropped in the area and mountains were covered in unstained white snow. The snowfall led to a dip in temperature said the authorities. There was extreme cold in the area.
The snowfall had started last evening and people were seen taking refuge under umbrellas. Despite the bitter cold, a large number of pilgrims were present for darshan on Monday.
