Kedarnath pilgrimage suspended for a year

The Kedarnath Temple (C, back) is pictured amid damaged surroundings by flood waters at Rudraprayag in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand June 18, 2013. Early monsoon rains have swollen the Ganges, India's longest river, swept away houses, killed at least 60 people and left tens of thousands stranded, officials said on Tuesday. REUTERS/

Reports from the Kedarnath temple, one of the four holy dhams, suggested that the structure was intact but the temple complex and the Rambada area around it have suffered total destruction. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna on Wednesday said it would be difficult for the Kedarnath Yatra to resume for a year.

“I don’t think we can resume the Yatra for one year. An 18 km stretch has been damaged. Kedarnath is in debris. The temple has been saved but there is eight to 10 feet of debris all around,” he told reporters.

The chief minister said until the road is constructed, the debris cannot be removed. “We need machines and cooperation of the Army and the Air Force. So, it is a problem of large magnitude,” he said.

Meanwhile, eight more bodies have been recovered from the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and 2,700 stranded pilgrims have been evacuated to safe locations.

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