A landslide disrupted the Kedarnath pilgrimage route on Sunday as heavy rain battered Uttarakhand, with around 4,000 pilgrims stranded, local reports said. The pilgrimage was suspended for the day and helicopter services were halted. Falling rocks and debris blocked the Badrinath-Rishikesh national highway near Sirobagarh at about 8 a.m., leaving long queues of pilgrims’ vehicles on both sides. The Rudraprayag district administration urged pilgrims to stay at safe locations and avoid moving forward until conditions improve. The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee asked devotees to follow safety guidelines. The India Meteorological Department placed Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Haridwar and Pauri Garhwal on red alert for extremely heavy rain. Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Nainital and Rudraprayag were placed on orange alert. Gusty winds of 40 to 50 kmph were also forecast. Police appealed to commuters to halt at safe locations along vulnerable stretches. Repeated slope failures were complicating road-clearing work. The rain spell has been linked to a depression over northeast Madhya Pradesh and adjoining north Chhattisgarh.