Kedarnath (Uttarakhand): Abhinav Kumar, DGP, Uttarakhand, reached Kedarnath to take stock of the security arrangements at Kedarnath Dham on Sunday. He said that every day an unexpected number of devotees were visiting the pilgrimage site.
Abhinav Kumar said, "Today is the tenth day of the commencement of Char Dham Yatra. I have come to inspect the arrangements made for the pilgrims. This time, an unexpected number of devotees are visiting the holy place. Daily, more than 30,000 devotees are visiting. The teams of all departments are working in coordination to make arrangements. In the coming days, our effort would be to provide more police forces and facilities for the devotees."
The DGP instructed to take strict action against those doing videography and making social media reels at a distance of 50 meters in the Kedarnath Dham temple complex. He instructed to maintain crowd management and an effective line system.
During this, the police force deployed on duty was instructed by him to behave gently with the devotees.
Since the sacred doors of Kedarnath Dham, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, opened to devotees on May 10, more than 1.83667 lakh pilgrims from across India and abroad have visited the revered site. The influx of visitors has led to significant traffic congestion on the Yatra route.
The district administration and police are actively working to manage the situation. The sheer volume of pilgrims has caused jams at various points along the route, particularly in areas such as Byunggad, Fata, and Jamu.
In response to the gridlock, the District Magistrate has directed officials to ensure essential supplies reach stranded pilgrims. On Saturday District Supply Officer Manoj Kumar Dobhal and Sector Officer Narendra Kumar, along with their team, distributed food packets and water bottles to 2,500 devotees stuck in the jams.
Efforts are ongoing to improve traffic flow and ensure the safety and comfort of all pilgrims visiting Kedarnath Dham.
The Char Dham Yatra, steeped in profound spiritual significance in Hinduism, unfolds a journey of devotion and introspection, traversing the sacred realms of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath, culminating in spiritual rejuvenation and divine communion.
—ANI