Routine Prayers to Resume at Kedarnath Shrine after Desilting the Temple Premises

Dehradun, June 29, 2013: The Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has started its efforts to re-start the routine prayer at Kedarnath shrine. The temple located in Rudraprayag district managed to survive two massive cloudbursts earlier this month.

The BKTC, a government body managing the shrine, will be dispatching a 25 member team for clearing the silt from the temple, which has deposited in the area after heavy rains and floods.

Ganesh Godiyal, chairman of BKTC, said, "We were to dispatch the team for Kedarnath on Friday, but due to bad weather they the team failed to move from Ukhimath. As there is no road connectivity for Gaurikund now, so the temple committee staff will be sent by chopper."

Leaving a stray, all the houses in Kedarnath were destroyed in the cloudburst. The temple committee will make temporary accommodation arrangements for its staff.

The shrine suffered minor damage in the cloudbursts on 6-7 June. Daily prayer and other religious activities remain suspended in Kedarnath since June 7.

Keeping in view about the devotees' religious sentiments, the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee has decided start daily prayers in the shrine as early as possible.

Kedarnath shrine's chief priest Bhima Shankar Ling Shivacharya said, "Most of the infrastructure was damaged by the cloudbursts. The temple committee staff will stay in tents till the shrine is closed for winter break. Once we clear the silt we will conduct purification of the temple to start the routine prayer."

The temple committee has not fixed any date for commencing the daily religious activity as they are not sure how long it will take them to clear the silt.

Presently, troops of Uttarakhand Police, ITBP and NDRF are deployed in Kedarnath. The local police are engaged in making arrangements for funeral of scores of dead bodies after the disaster.

At the onset of winters in November, the main statue of Lord Shiva in the shrine is carried down from Kedarnath to Ukhimath as the area remains covered by snow for almost four months. The shrine closes on the first day of Kartik (Oct-Nov) and reopens in Vaishakh (Apr-May) every year.