Ban on entry into sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath temple lifted

The ban imposed on the entry of pilgrims into the sanctum sanctorum of the Kedarnath temple has been lifted following a dip in the number of pilgrims visiting the Himalayan shrine.

The ban had been imposed for safety reasons on May 6 considering the unprecedented rush of pilgrims, Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee chairman Ajendra Ajay said on Saturday.

“The sanctum sanctorum of the temple has very limited space and allowing pilgrims inside it could be risky. So, the ban had been imposed which meant pilgrims could not go beyond the sabha mandap. But the restriction was lifted on Friday,” he said.

The relaxation has been given as there has been a sharp fall in the number of pilgrims visiting the temple daily.

When the pilgrimage to Kedarnath began in May, on an average 16,000-17,000 people came per day for darshan, which has now dropped to 2,000-3,000 pilgrims per day, the BKTC chairman told

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