Badrinath Yatra halted after heavy rain

The Badrinath Yatra - part of the annual Hindu pilgrimage of Char Dham Yatra was halted following heavy rain in Uttarakhand, an official said Tuesday.

The rain Monday washed away a road near Lambagad leading to the Badrinath shrine and it will take some time to repair it, officials told IANS.

At least 83 pilgrims have been stopped at Pandukeshwar and Joshimath while 65 pilgrims were stranded in Badrinath. At least 131 pilgrims have returned after visiting the shrine Monday, officials said.

District officials told IANS that the yatra would only resume after the reconstruction of the road. Traffic in many parts of the state has been disrupted after heavy rains for the past two days.

Kedarnath Yatra is also suspended and is likely to be reopened only after the clearance from the Met department, said officials.