Pilgrimage to the Kedarnath temple, one of the char dhams in Uttarakhand, was halted on Saturday due to a heavy rush of devotees, news agency ANI reported citing local authorities. The yatra will now resume on Saturday at 4am, said Rudraprayag circle officer Pramod Kumar.
Police and personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) stopped the devotees en route to the Kedarnath Dham at Sonprayag around 10am on Saturday and it has been suspended since.
As many as 91 pilgrims on their way to the Himalayan temples have lost their lives since the yatra was resumed on May 3, according to an ANI report. Of the total deaths, Kedarnath has reported the highest number of pilgrim casualties with more than 40 fatalities.
The char dham yatra was suspended for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It began with the opening of Gangotri and Yamunotri portals for devotees on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya, an auspicious Hindu festival. While Kedarnath re-opened on May 6, the doors of Badrinath opened on May 8.
As of May 25, a record 9,69,610 pilgrims have visited Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, according to the ANI report.
{{/usCountry}}As of May 25, a record 9,69,610 pilgrims have visited Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, according to the ANI report.
{{/usCountry}}'High death toll a cause of concern'
Though the death of so many pilgrims on way to the high altitude shrines in Uttarakhand is mostly due to cardiac problems, the toll this year is on the higher side in comparison to previous years.
In 2019, 90 devotees died during the entire season which lasts nearly six months -- April-May to October-November every year. As many as 102 pilgrims had died in 2018, while 112 devotees lost their lives in 2017, according to a PTI report.
Is Covid a contributor to the higher death toll?
Usually, these deaths are caused by mostly cardiac arrest due to the harsh weather conditions in higher altitude regions. However, this year it has been due to a combination of factors including the absence of an acclimatisation mechanism, weak immunity of pilgrims most of whom have a Covid history, precarious weather and inadequate arrangements considering the heavy rush of pilgrims, reported PTI quoting a senior official who heads a healthcare facility that provides free medical facilities in Kedarnath.
The official said many pilgrims are not coming with proper clothing due to their unawareness of the extremely cold conditions. "We have noticed that many of those who died on the way to Kedarnath died of hypothermia which is caused by extreme cold conditions," he added.
(With agency inputs)