The Uttarakhand government on Monday temporarily suspended the Char Dham Yatra as relentless rain, weather alerts and landslides disrupted pilgrimage routes across the state.
The precautionary decision was taken after the India Meteorological Department issued red and orange alerts, while landslides were reported at several points along the routes to the Himalayan shrines.
"The yatra has been halted temporarily in view of the prevailing weather and road conditions, with the safety of pilgrims being our highest priority," a government spokesperson said.
"It will resume only after the routes are declared safe and conditions return to normal."
The suspension applies to pilgrim movement on routes to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, officials said.
The Garhwal Commissioner has directed district magistrates and other officials in the affected districts to accommodate pilgrims already on the routes at secure locations. Authorities have been told not to allow onward movement until roads are fully inspected and cleared.Officials have also been asked to disseminate timely and accurate updates through the media and other communication channels to prevent confusion among travellers and the public."Pilgrims should not pay heed to rumours. They must rely only on official advisories and follow the directions of the district administrations until the weather and road conditions improve," the spokesperson added.
Despite periodic weather disruptions, the annual pilgrimage has recorded a heavy footfall this season.
Pradeep Chauhan from the Uttarakhand Tourism Department's Yatra Division said that 4,484,429 pilgrims had visited the four shrines and Hemkund Sahib by late Sunday evening. Of them, 1,521,381 pilgrims visited Badrinath, 1,409,668 reached Kedarnath, 699,387 travelled to Gangotri, and 646,235 completed the journey to Yamunotri. Another 207,758 pilgrims paid obeisance at Hemkund Sahib, he said.
The administration said teams were monitoring vulnerable stretches and would review the suspension in accordance with updated forecasts and ground reports. Pilgrims have been advised to remain at designated shelters and avoid travelling independently during the alert period.
