Youth from Dahod on Char Dham Pilgrimage by Bicycle Stranded, Describes Eyewitness Account

A young man from Dahod district, who had embarked on a pilgrimage to the Char Dham on a bicycle, was caught in a tragic accident caused by a sudden cloudburst while on his way to Kedarnath after visiting two of the sacred sites.

Youth from Bhujela Village on Char Dham Pilgrimage Meets Tragic Accident

Chirag Valvai, a young man from Bhujela village in Fatepura taluka of Dahod district, started his Char Dham pilgrimage on a bicycle from Dahod on July 1. 

He had first completed his visits to Yamunotri and then Gangotri. He was on his way to Kedarnath, with plans to visit Badrinath as his final destination after Kedarnath.

Youth Describes the Chaos Before Accident During Char Dham Pilgrimage

Chirag mentioned that he had stopped at Sonprayag, about 25 kilometers from Kedarnath, on July 31. The next morning, the police informed him that there had been a cloudburst ahead and that water levels were rising. 

The police evacuated the hotel in Sonprayag and stopped travelers from proceeding further. Five kilometers away from Gaumukh, a cloudburst caused significant devastation right before his eyes.

Youth Decides to Return and Complete Pilgrimage by Alternative Means After Cloudburst Incident

Instead of proceeding further, Chirag chose to return to Sitapur and stay there. He plans to travel to Ayodhya by bicycle and then complete his Kedarnath pilgrimage by train or another mode of transportation. 

Although his family was concerned due to the cloudburst incident during the Char Dham pilgrimage, they were relieved upon contacting him. Chirag mentioned that he had completed 2,027 kilometers on his bicycle without encountering any issues until now.