Kedarnath Dham's doors open for pilgrims amid the chanting of shlokas

The revered Kedarnath Dham's doors were opened for the pilgrims amid loud drumbeats and the chanting of shlokas (hymns) on April 25. 

In preparation for its opening today, Kedarnath Dham, the home of Lord Shiva and one of the holiest pilgrimage destinations in the nation, was decked with 20 quintals of flowers.

However, the Uttarakhand state government has stopped accepting registration requests from travellers for the Kedarnath Dham Yatra. The choice was made after the Meteorological Department provided warnings of unfavourable weather conditions in the upcoming days and in light of the significant snowfall along the pilgrimage path.

The state administration has decided to stop accepting applications due to a significant snowfall warning issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) for pilgrims travelling the path to Kedarnath Dham.

According to an official statement, the weather is expected to remain inclement in Kedarghati over this week. The statement read, “The weather is expected to remain bad in Kedarghati for the next one week. On the alert of the Meteorological Department, the state government has stopped the registration of the visit to Kedarnath Dham. The heavy snowfall in Kedarnath has created difficulties for the administration.”

“Registration of pilgrims for the Kedarnath pilgrimage has been stopped in view of the snowfall of three to four feet on the Kedarnath pedestrian route and Dham and the warning by the Mete Department,” the statement added.