Kedarnath temple safe, but off limits for three year

The famous Kedarnath shrine in the Rudraprayag district of Uttarkhand has been severely hit by the floods caused by the incessant rains the state has been receiving in the past few days. A portion of the Kedarnath shrine compound has been washed away, however, the temple authorities have said that there have been no reports of damage to the temple, Press Trust of India reported.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said that the temple has not been damaged, but it will remain off-limits because the area around it has been torn apart. Uttarakhand minister Harak Singh Rawat provided this aerial view of Kedarnath and its surrounding area.

The 14-km stretch from the base camp to the shrine is inaccessible.

Thousands of pilgrims are stranded and efforts are underway to rescue them. Chopper services were launched on a war footing with no fresh spell of rain in the morning at most places in the Uttarakhand, an official said.

More than 40 policemen, who were duty near the Kedarnath shrine, are missing as the rains continued to pound the state.

10 choppers have been deployed by the Indian Air Force. Two choppers ferried about 200 stranded pilgrims from the high altitude Kedarnath shrine to Fata helipad in Rudraprayag district on Tuesday.

The buildings in the vicinity of the shrine which housed several hotels and shops have also been damaged in the floods.

A road which has caved-in on the route from Kotdwar to Rudraprayag.

Road strewn with stones on the route from Kotdwar to Rudraprayag.

The 20-foot statue of God Shiva located at Parmath ghat in Rishikesh was washed away on Tuesday by the overflowing waters of River Ganga.

The government has suspended the annual Kailash Mansarovar yatra. "The pilgrims have been accommodated in various locations and the route will be opened again after things get normal," an official said.

Private choppers have been hired to distribute food and other essential commodities to people stranded in Pulna and Bundar villages en route to Hemkund Sahib.

Army personnel rescue stranded children and other pilgrims to a safe place in flood-hit Govind Ghat in Chamoli.

Army personnel rescue stranded children and other pilgrims to a safe place in flood-hit Govind Ghat in Chamoli.

Cricketer Harbhajan Singh who was rescued by ITBP personnel on the way to Hemkund Sahib talks to media at a campt in Chamoli.

A view of the overflowing Mandakini River damaging the bridge over it in Kedarnath Valley in Rudraprayag district.

A view of a submerged bridge over river Ganga in Rudraprayag on Tuesday following incessant rains.

Next: Rain storms through North India

Both, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, have been battered and ravaged by incessant showers, landslides and flash floods. Thousands are stranded in both the states.

More than 10,000 people have been rescued in efforts led by the army, the PM added. More than 5000 people remain stranded in the Kedarnath region and another 15,000 are stuck in Badrinath and nearby areas.

22 helicopters are being used to air-lift and help people stranded in areas around Kedarnath, said Junior Home Minister RPN Singh. The army will focus its efforts on Kedarnath tomorrow. Over 6,000 soldiers will be deployed across the affected region by Saturday.

The water levels in the Ganga and its major tributaries have now receded and the rivers are flowing below danger mark. The high water levels had clogged roads and affected rescue operations.

Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand was the worst hit with 20 people dead and 73 buildings, including 40 hotels, along the banks of the Alaknanda swept away in the swirling waters of the river.

Vehicles were seen being washed away; a landslide buried a bus, killing four people and injuring 15 others in Almora district.

Manoj Chausali from Udham Singh Nagar shared this image of a truck tipped over in the gushing waters.

A herd of deer making its way through flooded waters in Uttarakhand.

The flooded Alaknanda river following heavy rain in Rudraprayag.

Fast moving water from Alaknanda river destroys building during heavy monson rain.

A car after an accident on the Haridwar-Mana national highway.

In Garhwal district, a bridge on the Alakananda river, connecting Rudraprayag and Gaurikund, has been washed away.

A damaged road during heavy monsoon rains near Govindghat of Uttarakhand. The National Highway leading up to Gangotri and Badrinath has been closed and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is constantly working to repair the road.

In Badrinath, 10 buildings were washed away while in Munsiyari the Kali Ganga river engulfed 400 houses.

Television footage has shown bridges, houses and other buildings crashing down and being washed away by the swirling waters. A swollen river is seen engulfing a giant statue of Lord Shiva in the city of Rishikesh on Monday.

A large number of shrines, hotels, rest houses, shops and residential buildings close to the river have also caved in.

Due to the poor weather conditions, the Char Dham Yatra as well as the Amarnath Yatra have been suspended.

In neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who was stuck in Sangla in Kinnaur district for more than 60 hours, was air-lifted this morning by a state helicopter along with a dozen tourists.

Teams from the National Disaster Management Authority are camping in the pilgrimage town of Haridwar awaiting air-lift to the worst-affected districts, officials said.

Heavy rains have caused chaos in the national capital and the surrounding areas. On Monday, Noida witnessed a 5-kilometre-long traffic jam because of incessant rain.

Several roads in Noida are flooded causing traffic jams in several places.

The Indira Gandhi International or IGI Airport in Delhi, two days after it was voted the world's second best airport, was flooded because of heavy rains. Services at the domestic arrival section were severely impeded; several conveyor belts used for baggage were out of service.

Workers cuts a tree that fell on an auto rickshaw during rains in New Delhi on June 16.

Trash covers a truck submerged in flood waters from heavy monsoon rains in Dehradun.

Pedestrians look at flood damage from heavy monsoon rains in Dehradun.

Several parts of Dehradun were also affected by the heavy rainfall.

People wade through a water logged road during the heavy rain in Haridwar.

In Haryana, the water level in the Yamuna rose suddenly, leaving 22 people dead and 1,000 stranded. In Uttar Pradesh's Bijnor, 250 farmers were stranded after water was released on the Ganga upstream near Haridwar. Around 32 of them have been rescued.

In Delhi, the Yamuna is flowing above the danger mark. The police have asked people living near Yamuna bank to vacate their houses.

In Delhi, people who live near the Yamuna river are being evacuated in boats. The government said 20 camps have been set up to provide shelter and medical assistance.