Kedarnath heli services halted, Char Dham Day 16:Devotees offer prayers at -6 degrees, weather hits routes to shrines

On the 16th day of the Char Dham Yatra, light snowfall at Kedarnath Dham has pushed temperatures below -6°C, triggering sudden and intense cold conditions. Despite this, devotees have continued queuing for darshan since early morning.
Continuous rain and dense fog forced authorities to suspend helicopter services to Kedarnath. Pilgrimage continues despite harsh weather Unseasonal rain continues across the mountainous regions. While rainfall in Kedarnath Valley was previously limited to afternoons, it began as early as 4 am on Monday, accompanied by thick fog and biting cold.
The adverse weather has caused inconvenience to both pilgrims and locals. According to the sector officer at Sonprayag, devotees were allowed to proceed toward Kedarnath from 4 am amid light rain, although crowd turnout was lower compared to previous days. Security and disaster response teams deployed In view of the weather conditions, disaster management teams remain on high alert. Personnel from SDRF, DDRF, NDRF, police, and ITBP have been deployed along the Sonprayag–Kedarnath trekking route to ensure the safety of pilgrims. Over 6.6 lakh devotees visit so far So far, more than 6,60,000 devotees have completed the Char Dham pilgrimage. A total of 27.5 lakh registrations have been recorded for the yatra so far: Additionally, 34,516 registrations have been recorded for Hemkund Sahib. Authorities expect around 1,31,319 devotees over the next two days (May 4 and 5). Badrinath sees steady flow of pilgrims At Badrinath Dham, temperatures have dropped below -3°C, and over 17,000 pilgrims are expected to visit by evening.
Actor and model Nyra Banerjee visited the shrine and praised the travel arrangements, describing her experience as spiritually uplifting. Security personnel are assisting elderly and differently-abled devotees by providing wheelchair access to the temple.
Pilgrims from Delhi also appreciated the smooth arrangements and security measures, highlighting the spiritual energy of the shrine and efficient management by authorities. Reduced footfall at Gangotri and Yamunotri Due to bad weather, footfall at Gangotri and Yamunotri has decreased today. However, the pilgrimage continues smoothly despite alerts from the meteorological department.
Uttarkashi police have installed barricades and are closely monitoring routes for pilgrim safety. Temperatures stand at around -4°C in Gangotri and -3°C in Yamunotri. Preparations underway for Hemkund Sahib Yatra Ahead of the opening of Hemkund Sahib, Army personnel and Gurudwara volunteers have reached the site. After offering prayers, they have begun clearing snow from the pilgrimage route. ​