Yatra to Kedarnath-Badrinath to resume on Oct 5

Pilgrimage to the famous Himalayan shrines of Kedarnath and Badrinath, suspended since the mid-June calamity in Uttarakhand, will resume on October 5 with the start of the Navratras.

The decision was made at a meeting of Kedarnath-Badrinath temple committee chaired by Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna today.

After resumption of the yatra to Gangotri, Yamunotri and Hemkund Sahib earlier this month, the state government had focused its attention on restarting pilgrimage to Kedarnath and Badrinath, the two major destinations in the char dham circuit.

The meeting also decided that devotees will be allowed to set out on the pilgrimage to these shrines only after a free medical check-up, an official statement said.

All preparations have been made to resume the pilgrimage with arrangements made to accommodate 100 people in Kedarnath and as many on way to the temple.

Arrangements for food and lodging of devotees have been made by the district administration and and the mandir samiti at main stoppages en route to the shrine, including Bhimbali and Lenchauli.

The funds to be spent over food and other arrangements will be provided to the district administration by the mandir samiti.

A team of doctors will be posted at Kedarnath and Badrinath and at major halts on way to the shrines to offer their services to pilgrims.

Chopper service will also be available for devotees bound for Kedarnath but they will have to take prior permission from Rudraprayag District Magistrate for this.

Prayers at the Kedarnath shrine, one of the worst hit in the June 16-17 flashfloods, were resumed on September 11 but yatra to the shrine, suspended since the calamity, could not be restarted due to the poor condition of roads.