Rudraprayag: Rising number of pilgrims visiting Kedarnath this year have brought back the smiles on the faces of the locals after the natural calamity that had befallen on them 2 years ago. According to records this yatra season over 1.5 lakh pilgrims have visited Kedarnath alone as compared to a mere 14 thousand last year.
With 15 days still remaining before the temple is closed for the winters, the locals are hopeful the numbers will increase further. After the aftermath of 2013, the government has been very particular about maintaining records about the number of people on the Char Dham route. On Friday, 613 people were able to offer their prayers in Kedarnath after completing a 14 km long trek. With Diwali on the horizon, the temperatures have begun to dip in the Kedar valley and snowfall is expected soon in the region.