Nestled among the lofty peaks of Himalayas in Uttarakhand, Char Dhams are the four holy places of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri.
The Char Dham Yatra will begin with the opening of Yamunotri and Gangotri gates on 2nd May, followed by the opening of gates of Kedarnath on 4th May, Badrinath next day and Hemkunt Sahib on 25th May. Thousands of pilgrims visit these shrines between the months of May and November every year.
After last year's natural disaster in June which left hundreds of pilgrims dead and many other missing, the pilgrimage was stopped as most of the areas remained cut off from rest of the country. Cloudbursts and massive rainfall devastated the places of tourist and pilgrims' interest including Badrinath and Kedarnath.
Calamities of this dimension do not get repeated too often but Skymet Meteorological Division in India would still like to beckon its readers to keep a tab on weather during the coming months. For now we will take a look at the weather conditions in the pre-monsoon season.
Weather in Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand receives highest amount of rain, 90 per cent of annual rainfall, during the Southwest Monsoon season followed by winter rain. The pre-monsoon season receives the least amount of rain
Development of weather this season is rapid leading to drastic change just in a span of 24 hours. The day might start on a sunny note with maximums touching low-thirties but a sudden formation of cumulonimbus clouds bringing short and sharp spell of showers leading to a drop in temperatures. In case of inclement weather maximums come down to twenties while minimums fall from teens to even 5°C.
The Western Disturbance keeps shifting and becomes less intense by the end of April, bringing only short sharp spells. The monsoon season sets in by the last week of June, unless it makes an early arrival like last year.
Safety measures
As the Char Dham and Hemkunt Sahib Yatra begins in the hill state of Uttarakhand on 2nd of May this year, the Uttarakhand government assures pilgrims of facilities and safety measures during the Yatra. According to media reports, the Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said “as part of the safety measures and to keep better track of all pilgrims coming for Char Dham Yatra, the state government is making registration system mandatory."
The state government has also generated five base camps, 48 wayside amenities, seven ghats and 12 night shelters for the pilgrims. The Chief Minister also assured that construction of roads and infrastructure will be completed by 30th April.
A special task force embracing police and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering personnel has also been set up in Uttarkashi for the Kedarnath route with mobile towers and PCO booths erected at every 15 km along the route. Skymet Meteorology Division in India does not foresee any calamitous situation this year.
picture courtesy- joytravels
