The authorities on Thursday halted the pilgrimage to Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara due to bad weather and heavy snowfall in the high altitude region of Chamoli district. Many pilgrims were sent back and many were asked to stay in Ghanghariya from where the most difficult stretch of the Yatra, a six kilometre steep trek to Hemkund Sahib begins, said the police circle officer of Chamoli, Pramod Shah. He told The Pioneer that pilgrims were halted as a precautionary measure to keep the visitors safe at about 7 AM on Thursday due to inclement weather.
He said that the weather did not improve much during the entire day on Thursday so the authorities will decide whether to allow pilgrims to move ahead or extend the temporary halt according to weather conditions on Friday morning. "We do not want pilgrims to face inconvenience during their journey ahead and all decisions will be taken considering the weather and their safety," added the CO.
