Developing Story··Updated 13d ago

Char Dham Yatra Suspended Amid Adverse Weather

Uttarakhand authorities have suspended the Char Dham Yatra due to adverse weather conditions, citing pilgrim safety, and say it will resume once conditions improve.

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Current Summary

According to a September 27 News On AIR report, a further thechenabtimes.com report, a Kerala Kaumudi report, a further Prashant News report, a September 27 Hans India report, and a September 28 ANI report, the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand was suspended amid adverse weather from Saturday afternoon, September 26, through Sunday, September 27. Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman said the decision was taken in the interest of pilgrims' safety, following an IMD red alert for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall linked to a deep depression. A landslide at Sirobagad, near the Dhari Devi temple in Pauri Garhwal, blocked the Badrinath National Highway, stranding around 4,000 pilgrims; National Highways Department crews worked to clear debris amid fresh rockfall. Pilgrims travelling from Kedarnath toward Gauri Kund were halted at Bhimbali and near Chirbasa after rockfall and soil blocked the route; the Kedarnath pilgrimage was halted until further orders. A child was killed and another injured in a landslide on the Chirbasa trek route, and a man was buried alive when a house collapsed in Thalisain, Pauri district; two kutcha houses collapsed in Chorgalia, Nainital, with no casualties. Over 500 people were evacuated from Munnaband in Pithoragarh by the SDRF using ropes. River rafting near Rishikesh was suspended as the Ganga rose rapidly. A September 28 Moneycontrol report put the Kedarnath route death toll at two. Late on September 27, joint SDRF, NDRF and DDRF teams rescued around 1,500 pilgrims stranded near Chirbasa, about three kilometres from Gaurikund, escorting them safely to Gaurikund despite ongoing rockfall risk. According to a September 28 News On AIR report, the Char Dham Yatra resumed on September 28 after an improvement in weather, per Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swarup, who said necessary directions were issued to district magistrates. A further report confirms the Hemkund Sahib Yatra also resumed on September 28 alongside Char Dham as weather conditions improved. The Kedarnath trekking route near Chirbasa, damaged by debris and boulders about 2.5 kilometres above Gaurikund, remains completely closed for movement while repair and strengthening work continues; the Kedarnath pilgrimage is proceeding via helicopter service in the meantime. CM Dhami said on September 28 the yatra's first phase was highly successful, citing record footfall this season: 18.10 lakh pilgrims at Badrinath, 8.41 lakh at Gangotri, over 7.5 lakh at Yamunotri and 15.57 lakh at Kedarnath, for a season total of 53,23,401 visitors so far, up from around 46 lakh in the same period last year. A September 29 ANI report states SDRF has now escorted around 9,000 pilgrims safely through the landslide-prone Chirbasa sliding zone, with the SDRF team from Sonprayag Post, led by Sub-Inspector Ashish Dimri, continuing relief and escort operations across the affected stretch. Pilgrims have been advised to track weather conditions and follow administration guidance.

What We Know

The Char Dham Yatra has been suspended amid adverse weather, per Disaster Management Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman.
The decision was taken for pilgrims' safety.
The yatra will resume only after weather conditions improve.
Pilgrims have been advised to monitor weather updates and follow administration guidance.
IMD issued a red alert for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, citing a deep depression moving from northeast Madhya Pradesh toward southeast Uttar Pradesh.
Red alert districts: Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Nainital, Udham Singh Nagar (Sept 26); Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Haridwar (Sept 27).
Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop directed district magistrates to implement safety measures.
A landslide at Sirobagad, near the Dhari Devi temple in Pauri Garhwal, has blocked the Badrinath National Highway, stranding around 4,000 pilgrims on both sides.
National Highways Department machinery is clearing the debris, but fresh material sliding down the hillside is slowing the work, with no reopening timeline given.
The Kedarnath pilgrimage has been halted until further orders amid continuing rain and landslide risk.
Sirobagad has been a chronic monsoon trouble spot on the Badrinath route for nearly three decades.
A group of Kedarnath-Gaurikund pilgrims, including Malayali devotees, has been halted at Bhimbali after fresh rockfall blocked the route.
Police stopped the pilgrims' movement as a safety precaution; they have requested accommodation and security arrangements.
A child was killed and another injured in a landslide on the Chirbasa trek route toward Kedarnath.
Balbir Singh died after being buried alive when a house collapsed in Thalisain, Pauri district.
Two houses collapsed in Chorgalia, Nainital district; no casualties reported there.
Over 500 people were evacuated from Munnaband, Pithoragarh, by SDRF using ropes.
River rafting near Rishikesh has been suspended as the Ganga rises.
IMD issued a yellow alert for Uttarkashi and Dehradun for Monday, indicating partial respite from heavy rain elsewhere in the hill state.
The yatra suspension entered its second consecutive day on Sunday, September 27.
IMD upgraded its September 28 forecast to a red alert for Uttarakhand, superseding an earlier yellow-alert forecast.
Authorities declared a school holiday for September 28 in alert-affected districts.
About 500 Telugu-speaking pilgrims were reported stranded near Kedarnath after landslides blocked the route.
A September 28 Moneycontrol/PTI report said landslides on the Kedarnath route have killed two people, up from the single death (a child) confirmed earlier at Chirbasa.
SDRF, NDRF and DDRF teams jointly rescued around 1,500 pilgrims stranded near Chirbasa on the Kedarnath route late on September 27, escorting them safely to Gaurikund despite continuing rockfall.
A group of 45 pilgrims from Rayavaram mandal, East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, who had completed Kedarnath darshan on September 26 and were returning by doli, were stranded near Gaurikund by the landslide; they were reported safe.
The child killed by rockfall near Chirbasa on the Kedarnath route has been identified as five-year-old Yash, son of Rohtash Yadav of Etah, Uttar Pradesh.
Char Dham Yatra resumed on September 28 after weather improved, per Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swarup.
The Kedarnath trekking route near Chirbasa remains completely closed due to debris and boulders; repair and strengthening work is underway.
Kedarnath pilgrimage is continuing via helicopter service while the trek route is closed.
The Hemkund Sahib Yatra also resumed on September 28 alongside Char Dham as weather conditions improved statewide.
CM Dhami said on September 28 that the yatra's first phase was highly successful, with record numbers of pilgrims arriving in the second phase.
Season footfall so far: 18.10 lakh at Badrinath, 8.41 lakh at Gangotri, over 7.5 lakh at Yamunotri and 15.57 lakh at Kedarnath, totaling 53,23,401 pilgrims, compared with about 46 lakh in the same period last year.
SDRF has escorted around 9,000 pilgrims through the landslide-prone Chirbasa zone on the Kedarnath route as of September 29, with operations led by Sub-Inspector Ashish Dimri from Sonprayag Post.

What Is Still Unclear

Which specific routes or shrines (Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, Yamunotri) are affected.
The exact date the suspension began and its expected duration.
Numbers of pilgrims currently stranded or affected.

Advisory

Pilgrims should track weather conditions and follow administration guidelines before travelling; the yatra will resume only after conditions improve.

What Changed

30 Sept, 01:22 am
SDRF has escorted approximately 9,000 pilgrims safely through the landslide-prone Chirbasa sliding zone on the Kedarnath pedestrian route, according to a September 29 ANI report. The SDRF team from Sonprayag Post, led by Sub-Inspector Ashish Dimri, has taken charge of the affected stretch and continues relief and escort operations despite difficult terrain and weather.
30 Sept, 12:22 am
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said on September 28 that the yatra's first phase was highly successful and that record numbers of pilgrims continue to arrive in the second phase. Badrinath and Gangotri have recorded their highest-ever footfall this season, with 18.10 lakh pilgrims at Badrinath and 8.41 lakh at Gangotri; Yamunotri has crossed 7.5 lakh and Kedarnath has recorded 15.57 lakh. Overall, 53,23,401 pilgrims have visited the four Char Dham shrines so far this season, up from around 46 lakh in the same period last year, with about a month and a half of the season remaining.
29 Sept, 11:02 pm
A further report confirms the Hemkund Sahib Yatra also resumed on September 28 alongside the Char Dham Yatra as weather conditions improved across the state.
29 Sept, 09:42 pm
The Char Dham Yatra resumed on September 28 after an improvement in weather, per Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swarup, who said necessary directions were issued to district magistrates. The Kedarnath trekking route near Chirbasa, damaged by debris and boulders about 2.5 kilometres above Gaurikund, remains completely closed for movement while repair and strengthening work continues; the Kedarnath pilgrimage is proceeding via helicopter service in the meantime. The administration has again appealed to pilgrims to track weather conditions and follow local directions.
29 Sept, 09:33 pm
Telangana Today identifies the child killed by rockfall near Chirbasa on the Kedarnath trek route as five-year-old Yash, son of Rohtash Yadav of Etah, Uttar Pradesh. His body was carried by palanquin to the MRP Bhairav Temple in Junglechatti. The report puts the number of pilgrims rescued from the Chirbasa area so far at around 1,000, with evacuations continuing.
29 Sept, 09:33 pm
No new facts beyond what is already recorded in the current summary.
29 Sept, 09:12 pm
Among those affected near Gaurikund were 45 pilgrims from Rayavaram mandal in East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh, who had completed Kedarnath darshan on September 26 and were returning by doli when the landslide halted their journey; they were reported safe but stranded.
29 Sept, 09:12 pm
Late on September 27, joint SDRF, NDRF and DDRF teams rescued around 1,500 pilgrims stranded near Chirbasa, about three kilometres from Gaurikund, after continuous rockfall from the hillside made the stretch increasingly hazardous. The pilgrims were escorted safely across the landslide zone to Gaurikund despite ongoing rockfall risk.
29 Sept, 09:12 pm
A September 28 Moneycontrol report says landslides on the Kedarnath route have killed two people, up from the single death (a child) previously confirmed at Chirbasa. The location and circumstances of the additional fatality have not been independently detailed in available reporting.
29 Sept, 08:51 pm
A September 27 Hans India report said about 500 Telugu-speaking pilgrims were stranded near Kedarnath after landslides blocked the pilgrimage route.
29 Sept, 08:51 pm
A September 27 Zee News report said the IMD issued a red alert for heavy rainfall across Uttarakhand for Monday, September 28, prompting authorities to declare a school holiday for the day across alert-affected districts.
29 Sept, 08:42 pm
Adding the first confirmed deaths of this weather spell, plus new evacuation, rafting-suspension and house-collapse details, and noting the yatra suspension has entered a second day with a partial-respite alert for Monday.
29 Sept, 08:22 pm
A group of pilgrims travelling from Kedarnath toward Gauri Kund, including Malayali devotees, has been halted at Bhimbali after descending rocks and soil blocked the route. Police stopped their movement as a safety precaution after they had set out from Kedarnath that morning under police instruction. The pilgrims have asked authorities for accommodation and security arrangements, citing continuing landslide risk in the area.
29 Sept, 08:12 pm
A landslide at Sirobagad, near the Dhari Devi temple in Pauri Garhwal, has buried a stretch of the Badrinath National Highway under mud and boulders, stranding roughly 4,000 pilgrims on both sides. National Highways Department machinery is clearing debris but fresh material sliding from the hillside is slowing the work, and officials have not given a reopening estimate. The Kedarnath pilgrimage has been halted until further orders amid continuing rain and landslide risk. Sirobagad has been a chronic monsoon trouble spot on this route for nearly three decades.
29 Sept, 06:23 pm
The suspension follows an IMD red alert for heavy to extremely heavy rainfall as a deep depression over northeast Madhya Pradesh moves toward southeast Uttar Pradesh. IMD issued a red alert for Bageshwar, Pithoragarh, Champawat, Nainital and Udham Singh Nagar on September 26, with orange alerts for Dehradun, Pauri, Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Almora, and yellow alerts for Haridwar, Uttarkashi and Tehri. For September 27, the red alert extends to Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri and Haridwar, with orange alerts for Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Nainital and Rudraprayag. IMD has warned of landslides, road blockages, flash floods and rising river levels, with snowfall expected above 4,000 metres. Garhwal Commissioner Anand Swaroop has directed all district magistrates to implement safety measures and monitor conditions.
29 Sept, 04:13 pm
Signal detected: Char Dham Yatra Suspended Amid Adverse Weather