Rudraprayag/Dehradun, 29 Sep: The portals of Kedarnath Dham will close for the winter season on 23 October, on the auspicious occasion of Bhaiya Dooj, two days after Diwali. It may be reminded here that, this year, the portals are shutting earlier than last year, when the Yatra had stretched on for a longer duration. With just about 25 days left before the sacred shrine is closed, the present turnout of pilgrims failed to match that of last year and this has raised concern among local businesses and service providers.
The poor state of the Sonprayag–Gaurikund motor road remains another serious impediment. During the Monsoon, this stretch of the Kedarnath route had to be frequently closed at Sonprayag and Munkatiya due to continuous boulder falls. Many vehicles have been reported damaged due to rockfall this year. Even now, the road near Rampur in Phata continues to sink each year despite repeated expenditure of lakhs of rupees on repairs, forcing heavy vehicles to be hauled out with JCB machines. At Doliya Devi, the recently laid bitumen has been ripped apart by boulders and rains, leaving behind deep potholes and a rough surface that makes vehicular movement both slow and hazardous.
For now, pilgrims reaching the shrine are able to offer darshan to Baba Kedar without much waiting, but locals insist that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) needs to take up comprehensive repair works before the next season so that devotees do not face the same difficulties year after year.
