Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Jun 29: Five pilgrims from Nehrunagar here, who had undertaken Char Dham pilgrimage, were forced to abandon it as the connecting bridge collapsed in front of their eyes. Their ardent desire to pay obeisance at Kedarnath and Badrinath could not be fulfilled. Although pilgrims who are stranded at the mountain tops were being evaculated with the help of helicopters, no such facilities were available to people like these pilgrims, who got stranded midway, it is learnt.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad district secretary, Radhakrishna Bhat, district Dharma Prasara Pramukh, Sankappa Gowda, Ganesh Gowda from Paddayooru, Krishnaraj Polya, and T Subrahmanya Rao from Haradi got stuck midway while on this pilgrimage.

On June 25, a bridge crashed when the team was proceeding from Sonu Prayag. They could not proceed further, and about 500 pilgrims got stranded at Sonu Prayag. As per the advice of vehicle drivers, an attempt was made to go to Badrinath on June 27, but once the vehicles reached Joshi Math, it transpired that the route further was closed. Therefore, the pilgrims had to shell out Rs 8,000 to book a vehicle back to reach Haridwar. They have now reached Haridwar, and booked train ticket to return home on July 3, it is learnt.

The pilgrims are unhappy about lack of efforts on the part of the state government, which benefits from pilgrims, but does little to serve their interests. The government does not say that the pilgrimage has been cancelled, but just suspended. The pilgrims also are angry at the fact that Karnataka Bhavan, which is expected to look after their interests, has not called to find out abut the situation they are in, or about their needs.