Amid heavy snow, 18,000 pilgrims reach Kedarnath

DEHRADUN: Portals of Kedarnath Dham were thrown open to devotees at 6:20 am on Tuesday amid chanting of mantras and music played by an Army band. Over 18,000 pilgrims turned up for the opening ceremony of the shrine though there was heavy snow and inclement weather.

"We welcome all Char Dham pilgrims. Despite the harsh weather conditions, efforts are being made to provide the best possible facilities to pilgrims. However, we do request those coming to Kedarnath to check weather predictions before starting the journey," CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said.




At dawn, a palanquin carrying the deity was brought from Ukhimath (the deity's winter abode). Following some rituals, the deity was placed inside the shrine before the portals were opened by chief priest Rawal Bhima Shankar Ling.

But bad weather will continue in the Char Dham districts of Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi and Pithoragarh, especially the higher reaches. "Harsh conditions will remain for the rest of the month. Till April 28, there will be light rain and snowfall and it will intensify after that," said Rohit Thapliyal, a scientist at the regional meteorological centre. The Met centre has also predicted "thunderstorms accompanied with lightning and hail" at the Kedar valley between April 27 and 29.

Rain in plains, foothills & snow in higher reaches to continue
Rain and thunderstorms will be witnessed in plains and foothills across the state between April 29 and May 1. High-altitude places situated at 3,500 metres and above are likely to receive fresh bouts of snowfall.

Last year, 15.6 lakh devotees had offered prayers at the Kedarnath temple, an all-time high. This year, over 6 lakh pilgrims have already registered for the yatra and authorities are confident of breaking last year's record.

Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines opened on April 22 and Badrinath will open on April 27.