Heavy Rains Fail To Dampen Devotees’ Spirit At Kedarnath, Complaints Over Overcharging Surface

Rudraprayag: Despite continuous rainfall and adverse weather conditions, devotees from across the country continue to trek to the Kedarnath shrine, underscoring their unwavering faith. While several pilgrims have largely praised the arrangements made by authorities, some have raised concerns over alleged overcharging in the name of special darshan.When ETV Bharat spoke to the pilgrims along the route, many expressed satisfaction with the health, sanitation and disaster management measures put in place by the administration. Medical teams have been deployed at multiple locations, emergency services remain active, and cleanliness arrangements have been maintained throughout the pilgrimage route.Some devotees alleged that some priests and intermediaries were demanding between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000 for facilitating special darshan, despite the officially prescribed VIP darshan fee being Rs 1,100. Rudraprayag District Magistrate Vishal Mishra said the yatra was being conducted in accordance with weather advisories and prevailing ground conditions. He added that the safety of pilgrims is the administration’s top priority. Official sources said that more than 11.85 lakh devotees had visited Kedarnath and offered prayers at the shrine till 5 PM on June 9.