Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) [India], October 21 : Uttarakhand Governor, Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd.), visited the Kedarnath Dham on Tuesday and offered a special Rudrabhishek. He also inspected the ongoing construction and development work there.
"Today, I had the divine fortune of having darshan of Baba Kedar and a special Rudrabhishek at Shri Kedarnath Dham. Upon arriving at this sacred abode, the mind fills with faith, devotion, and spiritual peace. I prayed to Baba Kedar for world peace, human welfare, and the sustainable development of Uttarakhand. During this time, I inspected the ongoing reconstruction and development works in the Dham and obtained detailed information from the officials about the construction activities," Singh wrote on X.
The Governor appreciated the commitment and devotion of the Tirth Purohit Samaj, administration, temple committee, police officials, SDRF, and NDRF to the reconstruction's development.
"I bow from the heart to the dedication of the Tirth Purohit Samaj, administration, temple committee, police, SDRF, NDRF, and all service organisations. The journey management, security, facilities for the Tirth Purohits, and the progress in reconstruction are the result of collective efforts. I hope everyone will continue to work with the same devotion and spirit of service, so that every devotee receives a simple, safe, and divine experience," he added.
Meanwhile, the Kedarnath Yatra has set a new record this year. The number of pilgrims visiting Kedarnath has crossed 16.52 lakh, as of October 8.
In 2024, a total of 16,52,076 devotees visited Kedarnath throughout the entire pilgrimage season.
The registration of pilgrims and operation of the Chardham Yatra were stopped from September 1 to 5 due to bad weather and continuous rain. They were resumed on September 6. The temple doors are scheduled to close on October 23, on the occasion of Bhai Dooj. Pilgrim footfall has also increased at Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri shrines.
In view of the rising number of devotees, the state government has made extensive arrangements to ensure a safe pilgrimage. Security personnel have been deployed along the travel routes, and JCB machines have been placed at landslide-prone areas to keep the roads clear and ensure smooth traffic movement.