Uttarakhand: Rain and a blocked trekking route had halted the journey to Baba Kedar for three days. Thousands of pilgrims were stranded at Sonprayag, eagerly awaiting the resumption of the pilgrimage. On Tuesday—the fourth day—movement along the Kedarnath trekking route finally began, triggering a massive surge of devotees at Sonprayag. In no time, the entire area was packed with crowds, echoing with chants in praise of Baba Kedar.
With luggage on their shoulders, “Bam-Bam Bhole” on their lips, and the hope of seeing Baba Kedar in their eyes, thousands of pilgrims set out for the holy shrine. Given the crowd that had accumulated over three days, the police and administration dispatched pilgrims in batches and in a phased manner rather than all at once. Despite this, the pressure of the crowd was clearly visible at Sonprayag, with long queues forming at various points. As the route reopened following the three-day hiatus, the chants of “Har-Har Mahadev” and “Bam-Bam Bhole” once again resonated from Sonprayag to Kedarnath. Neither the rain nor the hardships dampened the pilgrims’ enthusiasm; the path was arduous, yet they pressed on, driven by the hope of a glimpse of Baba Kedar.
District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar stated that the Kedarnath trekking route remains hazardous. Consequently, caution is being exercised regarding pilgrim movement, and devotees are being sent forward under administrative supervision to minimize risk.
Meanwhile, operators at GauriKund expressed their anger over the denial of permission for horses and mules to move along the trekking route. They are upset that, despite the resumption of the pilgrimage for devotees on foot, permission for pack animals to proceed has not been granted. They state that this has created uncertainty regarding their livelihoods and operations. While the reopening of the path after a three-day closure has brought smiles back to the faces of pilgrims, the hazardous condition of the pedestrian route and the surging crowds have posed a security challenge for the administration.
