The people of Uttarakhand have not yet forgotten the Kedarnath disaster that happened nine years ago on June 13, 2013. Still many families speak of the pain of the disaster. Even though all the records of pilgrims visiting the Char Dhams of Uttarakhand were broken in the summer season this year and a large number of pilgrims have come and are coming continuously to visit the Char Dhams.
This year there may have been a spate of pilgrims in the four dhams, but the wounds of the 2013 disaster are still alive among the local residents. The people of Kedar Valley shudder to remember the disaster. Located in Banswara village in Rudraprayag district, 50 km before Kedarnath, on the banks of the Mandakini river, the Gita Kutir Ashram, food area, Sant Niwas and the temple of Mother Siddheshwari Devi are situated on the banks of the river Mandakini. Swami says that in 2013, the foundation day ceremony of his ashram was going on on 12th June. The next day, on the night of June 13, a severe flood engulfed many rooms of his ashram and the grand temple of Mother Siddheshwari Devi. Soon everything got washed away in the Mandakini river. The seven drains of his ashram got absorbed in the Mandakini river.
MM Semwal, Professor of Political Science Department of Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Central Garhwal University of Srinagar Garhwal, says that nine years ago in the Chardham Yatra, the massive devastation on June 13 had badly devastated the Chardham Yatra and the tourism business of the mountain, Which has come back on track this year due to the large number of pilgrims coming to Uttarakhand for the Chardham Yatra. He said that the development of Chardham All Weather Road and Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail route would further enhance the importance of this region from both tourism and religious point of view.
Employment opportunities will increase more and migration will stop. He said that sun tourism is increasing in Uttarakhand in winters. Most of the winters are foggy in the plains of the country. The people of the plains come to the attractive hill tourist centers like Tungnath, Chopta Ukhimath to heat the sunlight.
Baba Ramanand Giri, a monk of Shripanch Dashnam Juna Akhara of Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, who returned from Kedarnath Yatra, says that now the crowd in Chardham is less than before. Are easily visible. Baba Jagdish Giri, who returned after visiting Kedarnath, says that the arrangements in Kedarnath are better than before. The new construction of Kedarnath temple complex makes it easy to visit.
The road leading to Badrinath and Kedarnath is much wider than before Rishikesh, due to which there is no problem in the movement of vehicles. The Rishikesh-Kedarnath road was only slightly damaged due to heavy rains ahead of Agastyamuni and beyond that the road is fine till Guptkashi and Gaurikund.
Poonam Arora, who came from Haryana, says that the widening of the roads in Chardham Marg in Uttarakhand has happened very fast, which has made the journey easy and accessible. In Kedar Ghati, the cold increases due to rain in the afternoon. Kodiala and Shivpuri, the major centers of river rafting in the Ganges river, are getting crowded with tourists. After Corona, now the business of river rafting is back on track.
According to government data, till June 13, 20 lakh, 75 thousand, 433 pilgrims have come to visit Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri and Hemkund Sahib in Chardham Yatra and these pilgrims continue to visit. The Chardham Yatra started with the opening of the doors of Yamunotri and Gangotri from May 3 this year. The doors of Kedarnath were opened on May 6 and Badrinath on May 8.
Till June 13, 19 lakh, 92 thousand, 424 pilgrims have come to the four dhams for darshan, while 83 thousand 19 pilgrims have come for Hemkund Sahib so far. After the opening of the doors of Badrinath Dham, 6 lakh, 89 thousand, 729 pilgrims have reached from May 8 to June 13. From May 6 to June 13, 6 lakh, 66 thousand, 901 pilgrims have come to Kedarnath Dham. From May 3 to June 13, 3 lakh, 62 thousand, 243 pilgrims have come to Gangotri Dham and after opening the doors to Yamunotri Dham from May 3, 2 lakh, 73 thousand, 551 pilgrims have come so far.