Natural disasters can never be predicted from before. 2013 proved that even char dham yatra is not free from the tide of nature. When devotees journeyed from far and wide to Kedarnath in June 2013, little did they know how their lives would drastically change and that some of them will never be able to go back to their families.
Kedarnath Tragedy 2013
Death and destruction was rampant when Kedarnath was completely flooded. The disaster stretched from the temple to Gaurikund and further downstream. Numerous pilgrims and devotees lose their lives, some lost family members, and countless others were injured. Within days, the area was reduced to a mass of debris. The flash floods occurred due to the breaking of the Kedar Dome (two mountains in the Gangotri group of peaks in the western Garhwal Himalayas), which in turn caused the Charbari Lake to rupture, after a cloud burst less than 6km from the shrine. Extreme pressure on rain clouds while they are trapped in a valley, leads to the clouds bursting and the water pummeling the area below with huge force. The weather had begun to worsen in the valley and slowly became detrimental after the rain continued causing the water level in the Mandakini to rise. The main temple was not destructed as such since the mud and sludge was kept out of its way by the rocks that had broken away from the Kedar Dome, but the town was destroyed accompanied with the death of thousands.
How Usha Destinations Helped
The tragedy was not confined to one particular area, which led to thousands being stranded in places like Guptkashi, Badrinath, Uttarkashi, Barkot, and Srinagar, for days. 94 people who had availed of our services were stuck and their families were distraught on not being able to reach them since many lost their phones and there was no reception in the areas too. It was a terrible time for their near and dear ones who were not able to ascertain whether someone was dead or alive. Due to fantastic team effort we managed to rescue each and every person who was stuck and returned them safely to their homes. In the midst of all chaos, our location managers ensured that everyone was well taken care of with amenities like accommodation, meals, and transport being provided.
It will take a long time to get the town back on its feet and recover from this disaster. However, we can only try to put the past behind us and hope that something like this never occurs in future during char dham yatra, because nature doesn't bend to our will and will never do so. Little by little, Kedarnath will surely be restored to its former glory and draw in crowds like before.
Kedarnath Tragedy 2013
Death and destruction was rampant when Kedarnath was completely flooded. The disaster stretched from the temple to Gaurikund and further downstream. Numerous pilgrims and devotees lose their lives, some lost family members, and countless others were injured. Within days, the area was reduced to a mass of debris. The flash floods occurred due to the breaking of the Kedar Dome (two mountains in the Gangotri group of peaks in the western Garhwal Himalayas), which in turn caused the Charbari Lake to rupture, after a cloud burst less than 6km from the shrine. Extreme pressure on rain clouds while they are trapped in a valley, leads to the clouds bursting and the water pummeling the area below with huge force. The weather had begun to worsen in the valley and slowly became detrimental after the rain continued causing the water level in the Mandakini to rise. The main temple was not destructed as such since the mud and sludge was kept out of its way by the rocks that had broken away from the Kedar Dome, but the town was destroyed accompanied with the death of thousands.
How Usha Destinations Helped
The tragedy was not confined to one particular area, which led to thousands being stranded in places like Guptkashi, Badrinath, Uttarkashi, Barkot, and Srinagar, for days. 94 people who had availed of our services were stuck and their families were distraught on not being able to reach them since many lost their phones and there was no reception in the areas too. It was a terrible time for their near and dear ones who were not able to ascertain whether someone was dead or alive. Due to fantastic team effort we managed to rescue each and every person who was stuck and returned them safely to their homes. In the midst of all chaos, our location managers ensured that everyone was well taken care of with amenities like accommodation, meals, and transport being provided.
It will take a long time to get the town back on its feet and recover from this disaster. However, we can only try to put the past behind us and hope that something like this never occurs in future during char dham yatra, because nature doesn't bend to our will and will never do so. Little by little, Kedarnath will surely be restored to its former glory and draw in crowds like before.
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