Put off Kedarnath yatra plan for a week, chief priest Bhimashankar Ling tells devotees

There are no mule operators to be found in the area this year as in the past.

Devotees queue outside the Kedarnath temple to offer their prayers on Sunday. (Virender Negi)

Chief priest of the Kedarnath temple Bhimashankar Ling Sunday advised devotees planning to visit the shrine to put their plans on hold for at least a week as it could be “risky”.

Citing the poor condition of the road leading to the shrine, the chief priest (Rawal) said undertaking the arduous journey could be “risky at present but hoped things will soon be okay as the snow melts and work on Linchauli to Kedarnath pedestrian route paces up”.

“The slopes on Linchauli to Kedarnath route are too steep which can cause problems to the old. Snow is still there in the area. The soil is wet. It will take at least 7-8 days more for the road leading to the shrine to be complete. So, I would advise pilgrims to not undertake the journey to Kedarnath for at least a week,” the chief priest told PTI from Ukhimath on phone.

See photos

Story continues below this ad

Though the state government is working overtime to repair and construct the roads everything is not quite in place as of now, he said.

There are no mule operators to be found in the area this year as in the past. Only facilities made available by the state government are there.

Meanwhile, Kedarnath yatra was halted Sunday following fresh snowfall at the shrine and adjoining areas. “The entire Kedar valley received fresh snowfall since early this morning bringing the pilgrimage to a halt,” Rudraprayag SP Barinderjit Singh told PTI.

The devotees have been asked to stay in Sonprayag and wait for the weather to clear up when the pilgrimage may be resumed, he said.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram