Rudraprayag, May 17 (HS). For the first time, a huge crowd of pilgrims visiting the world famous eleventh Jyotirling Lord Kedarnath is being seen in Kedarghati. Breaking all the records of the previous time, this time more than two lakh devotees have visited Lord Kedarnath within a week. This is much more than the previous travel season.
During the last Yatra season, only six thousand vehicles could reach in a week, but this time more than twenty thousand vehicles have reached so far. In view of the influx of pilgrims, to deal with the traffic jam at the main stops of the Yatra, District Magistrate Dr. Saurabh Gaharwar, taking command of the traffic, left the headquarters at 9 pm on Thursday and reached Sonprayag at 2 am and reached Fata, Shersi, Started getting the traffic jams in Rampur, Sitapur and Sonprayag cleared himself. He kept a close watch on the traffic system till four in the morning. At night, Dr. Saurabh Gaharwar talked to the police, home guards and PRD personnel engaged in traffic management, heard their problems and also discussed how to get rid of the traffic jam.
A large number of pilgrims coming to Kedar Dham from India and abroad are reaching in their private and public vehicles. Due to single line highway at some places from Phata to Sonprayag, the stop of Kedar Yatra, the problem of traffic jam is arising. The police involved in the traffic management made arrangements for the traffic operation as per the roster, but in order to reach there in a hurry, the drivers are disrupting the traffic system by parking their vehicles criss-cross, due to which a situation of traffic jam is being created. District Magistrate Dr. Saurabh Gaharwar and Superintendent of Police Dr. Bishakha Ashok Bhadane brought the traffic jam situation under control by fielding officers and employees engaged in traffic management. Late in the night, the District Magistrate inspected the route from Kund to Sonprayag and smoothened the disrupted traffic. Earlier, Deputy Superintendent of Police Prabodh Ghildiyal himself remained on the spot to smooth the traffic between Guptkashi, Phata, Shersi, Badasu and Sonprayag. The devotees reaching the Dham thanked the administration for providing relief from the traffic jam. By developing 11 new parking lots in the district, parking for 460 vehicles and including the parking at Sitapur and Sonprayag, parking for more than 15 hundred vehicles is available on the Yatra route. The district administration has also decided to use Agastyamuni ground as backup parking. When the main parking is full, big vehicles are parked at Agastyamuni Maidan and pilgrims are being dropped to their destination through shuttle service from here.
appropriate action by the government
The ban on VVIP and VIP Darshan in the world famous Kedar Dham till 31st May was said to be an appropriate step by the government and the ban on mobile phones within the radius of fifty meters of Kedar Temple is a good decision. In view of the influx of pilgrims and the VVIP and VIP guests arriving here for Darshanarth, there was interference in the travel arrangements. While the administration heaved a sigh of relief due to the ban on VIP darshan till May 31, it also appreciated the government's decision. The news being published on social media every day tarnishing the image of Kedar Dham was sending a wrong message and welcomed the government's decision to ban mobile phones within fifty meters of the temple.