The Chardham yatra was temporarily suspended on Sunday in view of the weather department's prediction of heavy to very heavy rains in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand on July 7-8.
Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey said it has been decided to postpone the Yatra for the safety of pilgrims.
In view of the weather department's prediction of heavy rains in Garhwal division on July 7-8, all devotees are urged not to start for the Chardham yatra beyond Rishikesh on July 7, he said.
Those who have already proceeded on the pilgrimage should wait wherever they are until the weather clears to resume their onward journey, he said.
Heavy rains in various parts of Uttarakhand over the past few days have triggered landslides in the hills with the highway going to Badrinath blocked at a number of points by the rubble falling from the hills.
Two pilgrims from Hyderabad were killed on Saturday after being hit by boulders falling from the hillside in the wake of a landslide near Chatwapeepal area of Karnaprayag in Chamoli district. They were returning from Badrinath on a motorcycle when they met with the accident.
The rivers of Uttarakhand are also in spate with the Alaknanda flowing near the danger mark at Vishnu Prayag near Joshimath. The Alaknanda merges with Dhauli Ganga at Vishnu Prayag.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
Over 50 Pilgrims Dead In Nearly A Fortnight Of Uttarakhand Chardham Yatra "Blacklist Violaters": High Court Steps In To Check Cruely To Animals On Chardham Route 2 Pilgrims Die Of Heart Attack During Char Dham Yatra In Uttarakhand Kamala Harris vs Donald Trump: Who Is Winning The US Election Right Now? Equatorial Guinea Civil Servant's Over 400 Sex Tapes Spark Massive Row Live Updates: Trump Says He May Not Challenge Election As Long As "It's Fair" Fake Bomb Threats Linked To Russia Briefly Close Georgia Polling Locations FBI Warns Of Bomb Threats From Russia At US Voting Sites Kamala Harris vs Donald Trump: Who Is Winning The US Election Right Now? Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.