The Kedarnath temple has changed very little.  The left-hand picture was taken in 1986, the right-hand picture in 2002.   In both the outside of the temple has some painted decoration, which looks more or less the same.  There have been some minor cosmetic changes in the surroundings: in 2002 the central gateway has been repainted, and has more bells hanging from it; the electrical pole on the left has been removed, and the fence has been improved.  In the 2002 picture, there also seems to be less open space in the foreground--but this may stem from the differing times in the season (the left side was taken shortly after the temple opened in late April.  (Right hand photo courtesy of Nick Barootian)

The left-hand picture shows one such sadhu--dressed only in a blanket and a coat of ash--wandering through the bazaar.  The right-hand picture shows a group of poor sadhus sitting by the temple steps to wait for alms.  As mentioned in the Gangotri section, giving alms is a common pilgrimage practice, and thus the poor (sadhus and beggars alike) at pilgrimage places are virtually assured of a subsistence income.

As at Gangotri, the Kedarnath's pandas (hereditary pilgrimage priests) are struggling economically.  Their ritual duties bring obligations to serve their clients, but don't bring a lot of income.  To supplement this many of Kedarnath's pandas run various sorts of businesses, such as managing hotels and shops--even the tailor in a little kiosk who put a new zipper on my pants was a panda!   Another disadvantage is that the temple is run by the Temple Committee, and thus the local pandas have no access to its resources.  Of all three sites, the Kedarnath pandas were the most forthright in approaching us to perform rituals--doubtless recognizing foreigners as an unclaimed and potentially lucrative source of patronage. (Left photo courtesy Sarah Helminski, right courtesy of Nick Barootian)

One of the few significant changes in the intervening years was a line of huts on both sides of the path leading into the town.  In 1990 (left) this was almost completely clear, whereas in 2002 it extended for at least half a mile.  By and large, the huts are used by the men who manage the horses--they stay in them, and stable their horses outside--but some of the huts serve as "hotels," making tea and food to anyone who comes there.  These huts serve the lower-end consumers, and also get the overflow when the town is full.  Water pollution must be high, since the huts on the right are built right on the cliff leading down to the river, and since this space is used as a toilet.  Surprisingly, water testing did not show nearly as much coliform bacteria as we would have thought, but we later realized that the testing process was probably affected by the air temperatures, which were well below those recommended by the testing kit. (Right photo courtesy of Nick Barootian)

The left-hand photo was taken over a balcony in our hotel, and the right hand photo was taken from the other side of the Mandakini River (looking back towards the edge of the town).  In the right hand picture one can also clearly see how the trash collects in the places below openings and alleyways (which provide places to throw it).  (Left photo courtesy of Nick Barootian, right hand courtesy of Sarah Helminski)

Of all three sites, Kedarnath had the least in terms of visible resources and visible development.  Part of this is doubtless because of it remote location--any supplies have to be carried in by a horse or a person--but stresses of the climate itself are severe..  These pictures were taken at the Tourist Bungalow in Kedarnath, which is built alongside the road as one approaches the town.  These buildings had clearly been ravaged--perhaps by an avalanche (on the road up, one sees thick, solid metal poles twisted into grotesque shapes), and the one on the right has been more or less destroyed.  Perhaps more tellingly, they buildings are not being repaired.  The Tourist Bungalow still had a dozen functioning rooms, reserved for people taking the GMVN tours, but the accommodations are rudimentary.  In many other places such damage would have more been speedily repaired; the delay here may reflect not only the difficulty in doing anything, but a judgment that such repairs would bring only limited returns, since the traffic here is comparatively less than the other sites.  (Photos courtesy of Nick Barootian)

The right hand photo shows an elderly pilgrim being carried in a kandi--a wicker sling carried by a single person.  The flood of pilgrims thus brings earning opportunities for the local people, but it is hardly a good living.  Not only is one's earning "season" limited to half the year, at best, but for poorer people the only sorts of jobs available are strenuous and difficult.