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Snowfall Continues For 2nd Day In Badrinath, Uttarakhand

By LokMarg 11th November 2023

It has been snowing continuously over two days in Badrinath town of Uttarakhand since Friday evening.

Officials said that two inches of snow were recorded in the temple town as the snowfall which started Friday evening continued into the second day.

The Badrinath Dham, one of the four sites of the Char Dham pilgrimage, was covered in a sheet of snow as seen in the visuals accessed by ANI.

Meanwhile, the portals of Shri Badrinath Dham will be closed for winter beginning November 18, authorities said earlier in the month.

The doors of Shri Badrinath Dham were opened for devotees on April 27 earlier this year

According to Uttarakhand Police Headquarters, the number of pilgrims visiting Char-Dham by October 16 had crossed 50 lakhs. Along with this, about 5,40,000 vehicles also reached Char-Dham. After the commencement of the Yatra, more than 17,8000 devotees visited Kedarnath Dham, 15,9000 visited Badrinath Dham, 8,46,000 pilgrims visited Gangotri, 6,94,000 pilgrims visited Yamunotri, and over 1,77,000 devotees visited Hemkund Sahib.

The portals of Shri Gangotri Dham will be shut for the winter season on November 14, an official statement issued by the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee stated earlier.

The Shri Yamunotri Dham will shut for winter on November 15, authorities stated. (ANI)

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U’khand: Landslide In Chamoli Blocks Badrinath National Highway

By LokMarg 29th June 2023

Heavy rains have triggered landslides and flash floods in Uttarakhand. A landslide in Chhinka of Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Thursday blocked the Badrinath National Highway. The work for clearing the road is underway.

“The work of smoothening the blocked Badrinath National Highway in Chamoli, Chhinka is going on. About 100 meters of the highway has been blocked due to a heavy landslide from a hill near Chhinka on Thursday morning due to rain. To remove heavy debris from the highway, additional machines have been installed from both ends of the road,” District Magistrate Chamoli wrote on Twitter.
After about 100 meters of the highway were blocked due to a heavy landslide from a hill near Chhinka on Thursday morning due to rain, the work of clearing the route is underway.

Additional machines have been installed on both ends of the highway to remove heavy debris quickly.

On Monday, a landslide on the Chandigarh-Manali highway blocked the stretch between Mandi and Kullu and aerial shots of the area showed hundreds of commuters stranded on the roads.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for today and tomorrow in the state.

According to the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) around 83 roads and two national highways have been closed in Himachal Pradesh. A total of 35 roads have been blocked in Mandi alone, it said. (ANI)

Char Dham Yatra Halted Due To Bad Weather

By LokMarg 26th June 2023

Char Dham Yatra has been stopped as a precautionary measure due to bad weather en route to Kedarnath and Badrinath, said officials here on Monday.

On Monday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami issued instructions in view of rain and snowfall during the Char Dham Yatra and directed officials to be extra vigilant.
“The government has stopped the Char Dham Yatra due to bad weather conditions en route. snowfall, rains and landslides have occurred at various places and traffic has been disrupted because of the same. We appeal to the travellers coming for Char Dham Yatra to continue their journey once the weather clears up,” said Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Meanwhile, the meteorological centre on Monday predicted “heavy to very heavy rain” at isolated places in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun and Tehri Garhwal districts in the next 24 hours.

The forecast by the Met Centre stated, “Heavy to very heavy rain at isolated places in Dehradun and Tehri Garhwal districts of Uttarakhand in next 24 hours. Thunderstorms and lightning will accompany the rains”.

Notably, some districts in Uttarakhand have witnessed torrential rains in the past couple of days.

Following the same Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday made a surprise inspection of the State Disaster Management Control Room located at the Secretariat and got information regarding the situation of heavy rains in the state, a press release said.

CM Dhami obtained information from the Disaster Control Room about the present weather condition, rain situation, water-logging and damages caused due to rain in the state. Haridwar received 78 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, followed by Dehradun (33.2) and Uttarkashi (27.7), as per the India Meteorological Department.

Instructing the officers, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the districts under the state where heavy rains are continuing and there is a possibility of heavy rains further.

“Maintain mutual communication and coordination with all those districts. So that emergency situations can be dealt with in time. He instructed the officers to always be in alert mode for disaster relief and rescue operations, CM Dhami said. (ANI)

U’khand: Heavy Snowfall Continues In Kedarnath, Badrinath

By LokMarg 1st April 2023

Uttarakhand witnessed a change in weather with the plains receiving rainfall while the mountains witnessed snowfall since Friday morning.

Due to heavy snowfall in Kedarnath Dham, the preparations for the Yatra have also been affected. The construction work going on in the place has been temporarily halted.

The yatra is set to start on April 25.

Several plains in Uttarakhand witnessed heavy rainfall. Several vehicles got buried under the hotel canopy debris which collapsed due to heavy rainfall near Mussoorie Library Chowk.

The administration has undertaken precautionary as well as rescue works in the state. The police said that no casualties have been reported.

Snowfall started in Badrinath Dham also as soon as the mood of the weather changed. The doors of Lord Badrinath are to be opened on 27th April.

Due to repeated bad weather and severe cold, the work of travel preparations and master plan is being affected.

Reportedly, the temperature is falling low with heavy snow ongoing on other peaks including Nar Narayan, Neelkanth and Mana.

Earlier on March 11, the Rudraprayag district administration had started preparations for the Chardham Yatra which is set to begin on April 22.

The Chardham Yatra in Uttarakhand is one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimages in India. This pilgrimage is a tour of four holy sites – Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri – nestled high up in the Himalayas.

The high-altitude shrines remain shut for around six months every year, opening in summer (April or May) and closing with the onset of winter (October or November).

The Chardham Yatra will begin on April 22 with the opening of the Yamunotri and Gangotri temples. Kedarnath will open on April 25 and Badrinath on April 27. (ANI)

Kedarnath Dham Portals To Open On April 25

By LokMarg 18th February 2023

The Kedarnath Temple Committee on the occasion of Maha Shivratri announced that the portals or doors of Shri Kedarnath Dham, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, will open on April 25, 2023.

Announcing the dates on the occasion of Shivratri, Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee President Ajendra Ajay said the portals of Shri Kedarnath Dham will open this year on Tuesday, April 25, at 6.20 am for the devotees to visit.

“While Bhairavnath ji will be worshipped on April 20 and Lord Kedarnath’s Panchmukhi Doli will leave for Kedarnath on Friday, April 21. On this day Panchmukhi Doli Vishwanath Temple Guptkashi will rest. Doli will reach Phata on 22nd April for a night’s rest,” he added.

Sharing the details of the schedule, Ajay informed that on April 23, Panchmukhi Doli will reach Gaurikund for a night’s rest from Phata. On April 24, Panchmukhi Doli will reach Kedarnath Dham from Gaurikund and on Tuesday, April 25, at 6.20 am, the doors of Shri Kedarnath Dham will open for devotees to visit.

The date of opening of the portals was declared according to the rules and regulations after Panchang calculation in a religious function organized at Shri Omkareshwar Temple, Ukhimath.

On this occasion, Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee President Ajendra Ajay, Chief Executive Officer Yogendra Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Prabodh Kumar Ghildiyal, Kedar Ling, Committee members Niwas Posti, Virendra Bartwal, Pushkar Joshi, Ashutosh Dimri, Panchgai along with right holders. In the presence of Kedarnath Teerth Purohit Samaj and devotees, local administration, Acharya Vedpathis fixed the date for the opening of the portals of Shri Kedarnath Dham.

It is notable that the portals of Badrinath Dham are opening on Thursday, April 27 this year. While traditionally the doors of Gangotri-Yamunotri Dham open on Akshaya Tritiya, this year Akshaya Tritiya is on 22 April. In the month of Chait, Gangotri-Yamunotri temple committees will formally announce the dates of opening of the doors.

The Badrinath Dham is one of the four ancient pilgrimage sites referred to as ‘Char Dham’ which also included Yamunotri, Gangotri and Kedarnath. It is situated in the town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand. It remains open for six months every year (between the end of April and the beginning of November). (ANI)

At Village Bordering China, Modi Pitches For Vocal For Local

By LokMarg 21st October 2022

As part of the Vocal for Local initiative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Uttarakhand on Friday appealed to people, particularly tourists, to spend money on purchasing locally-made products.

“I appeal to all tourists in the country to spend at least 5 percent of their travel budget on buying local products,” Prime Minister Modi said at a public event held at Badrinath’s Mana, the last village bordering China.
Earlier too, he had appealed to fellow Indians on various occasions to purchase indigenous products to sustain the local economy.

Talking about villages situated near international borders and far-flung areas, the prime minister said every village located in the border areas will be now considered as the first village of India.

On the occasion, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for road widening projects worth around Rs 1,000 crore.

According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the two road widening projects – from Mana to Mana Pass (NH07) and from Joshimath to Malari (NH107B) – shall be another step towards providing last-mile all-weather road connectivity to our border areas. Apart from boosting connectivity, these projects will also prove beneficial from a strategic point of view as well.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the progress of development work of the riverfront in Badrinath on Friday.

Earlier in the day, the prime minister offered prayers at Badrinath and Kedarnath.

In Kedarnath, he laid the foundation stone for a ropeway project, which will be around 9.7 km long and will connect Gaurikund to Kedarnath, reducing the travel time between the two places from 6-7 hours at present to only about 30 minutes.

The ropeway is estimated to cost Rs 2,430 crore. (ANI)

Modi Arrives In Badrinath

By LokMarg 21st October 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Badrinath Dham in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand on Friday.

Before arriving in Chamoli, PM Modi visited Kedarnath Dham in Rudraprayag and offered prayers in one of the holy shrines donning a traditional pahadi outfit, Chola Dora, that was gifted to him by Himachali women during his tour to the state.
PM Modi arrived at Jolly Grant airport in Dehradun earlier in the day and was received by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Gurmeet Singh.

He later laid the foundation stone of the Kedarnath ropeway project and after that visited the Adi Guru Shankaracharya Samadhi Sthal.

He also reviewed the progress of development works along Mandakini Asthapath and Saraswati Asthapath.

Prime Minister is on a visit to the Himalayan state to lay the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 3,400 crore.

After worshipping at Badrinath, PM Modi is scheduled to review the progress of the development work of the riverfront, followed by laying the foundation stone of road and ropeway projects at Mana village. He will review the progress of the development work of the arrival plaza and lakes.

The ropeway in Kedarnath will be around 9.7 km long and will connect Gaurikund to Kedarnath, reducing the travel time between the two places from 6-7 hours at present to only about 30 mins. The Hemkund ropeway will connect Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib. It will be around 12.4 km long and will reduce the travel time from more than a day to only about 45 mins. This ropeway will also connect Ghangaria, which is the gateway to Valley of Flowers National Park, said the PMO statement.

The ropeways, which will be developed at a cumulative cost of around Rs 2,430 crore, are an environment-friendly mode of transport that will provide a safe, secure and stable mode of transport. This major infrastructure development will give a boost to religious tourism, which will give a fillip to the economic development in the region and lead to the creation of multiple employment opportunities as well.

Foundation stone for road widening projects worth around Rs 1000 crore will also be laid during the visit. The two road widening projects – from Mana to Mana Pass (NH07) and from Joshimath to Malari (NH107B) – shall be another step towards providing last-mile all-weather road connectivity to our border areas. Apart from boosting connectivity, these projects will also prove beneficial from a strategic point of view as well.

Kedarnath and Badrinath are among the most important Hindu shrines. The area is also known for one of the revered Sikh Pilgrim site – Hemkund Sahib. The connectivity projects are aimed to ease access and improve basic infrastructure in places of religious significance. (ANI)