Kamal Ghorui
As much of North India begins to transition into warmer summer weather, parts of Uttarakhand’s high Himalayan region are still experiencing intense winter conditions. Heavy snowfall has been reported in the upper reaches of Chamoli district since Sunday night, covering the sacred town of Badrinath and nearby mountain peaks in thick layers of snow. The snowfall has blanketed the premises of Shri Badrinath Dham, one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Himalayas. The snow-capped peaks of Neelkanth Parvat and Narayan Parvat, which dominate the temple town, have been freshly snowed over.Read more: FASTag annual pass fee revised; new rate to take effect from April 1 – here’s what travellers need to know There has also been a sharp drop in temperatures in the region, according to reports from the authorities. This sudden change in weather has brought back severe cold conditions in Badrinath, as well as in the surrounding areas in the lower reaches of the region. This type of weather is not uncommon in the higher reaches of the Himalayas, where winter conditions can persist well into the spring season, even as the weather in the plains becomes warmer. In the recent past, severe weather has been experienced in one of the other major Himalayan temples in the state. Heavy snowfall was experienced in the temple town of Kedarnath in the Rudraprayag district of the state on January 28. This snowfall has brought as much as three to four feet of snow over the temple complex, with the temperatures dipping to as low as -16°C, as reported by the district administration.Read more: Anand Mahindra is overwhelmed by this beautiful Indian festival and why the world needs to know about it Personnel from the Rudraprayag Police and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) continued to conduct routine patrols around the temple grounds and other sensitive areas in order to address the situation. Despite the frigid temperatures and icy winds, security personnel were observed patrolling the area.Despite the difficult geography and severe weather, security at Kedarnath Dham is tight, and the morale of security officers is good, according to official sources from the police department and the district administration office in Rudraprayag. Preparations are in full swing for reopening the Kedarnath temple prior to the upcoming pilgrimage season. The temple is expected to reopen for pilgrims on April 22, 2026, at 8:00 AM.The reopening date was announced on the occasion of Mahashivratri based on Panchang calculations at the Shri Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, the winter seat of Lord Kedarnath. The announcement ceremony was attended by Kedarnath Rawal Bhimashankar Ling, Kedarnath MLA Asha Nautiyal, and Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Chairman Hemant Dwivedi.
