The gateway to Hemkund Sahib and Badrinath, Joshimath has been declared a landslide-subsidence zone.
Several houses and more than 600 other buildings developed cracks. Vibrations caused by development work for National Thermal Power Corporation's Tapovan Vishnugad Hydro Power Project, which has been undergoing beneath the town, can be blamed for the land subsidence.
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Joshimath is situated in the Chamoli district in Garhwal, Uttarakhand.
Located at the height of 6150 feet (1875 m), it is a gateway to several Himalayan mountain climbing expeditions, trekking trails and pilgrim centers like Badrinath.
It is home to one of the four cardinal pīthas established by Adi Shankara.
Vishnuprayag which is located beneath Joshimath is the confluence of rivers Dhauliganga and Alaknanda.
The ancient Basdeo temple at Joshimath is attributed to Vasu Dev. Vasu Dev was of Buddhist origin, but later followed the Brahminical practices of Katyuri kings. Between 7th and 11th centuries C.E., Katyuri kings ruled the area.