Kedarnath temple sees record footfall

Tribune News Service 

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Dehradun, May 29 

Since the portals of the Kedarnath shrine were thrown open on April 29, over 4.39 lakh tourists have paid obeisance breaking all previous records. The number of pilgrims visiting the shrine has reached an all time high. 

At the end of the Char Dham Yatra last year, a total of 4.71 lakh pilgrims had visited the shrine. However, the target of 4 lakh has already been achieved in one month. 

BD Singh, Chief Executive officer of the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee, said the numbers were expected to swell in June. “This year the yatra has received a good response and we are expecting more pilgrims in the coming month. Except for snow in the first week of May, the weather has been more or less conducive,” he said. 

In 2012, around 5.53 lakh pilgrims had visited the shrine. However, along with increase in footfall, the number of death due to heart attack too has increased. Around 33 pilgrims have lost their lives mostly due to heart attack during the yatra. 

Till now the highest number of death have been reported from Kedarnath (18), followed by Badrinath (9) and Yamunotri (6).

Though elaborate medical arrangements have been made on the Char Dham route, pilgrims usually in their 60s do encounter medical emergencies which often lead to death.