In pictures: Uttarakhand after the floods

Locals unload a piece of wood from a truck to be placed on to an Indian Air force helicopter as cremation efforts for those killed in landslides and monsoon floods get underway, in Gauchar, Uttarakhand — Image caption,
Nearly a fortnight after monsoon rains flooded vast swathes of the Indian state of Uttarakhand, efforts are underway to cremate hundreds of people who died. Wood is being transported to the worst-hit temple town of Kedarnath to enable the ceremonies to take place.

Soldiers and volunteers load wood on an Indian Air Force helicopter to be used for mass cremation at Kedarnath

At least 200 bodies have been cremated in Kedarnath since Wednesday after several delays due to bad weather.

A man looks at a wall which is covered with special announcements and pictures of missing people near the airport gate in Jollygrant, Uttarakhand

Photographs of those still missing have been posted throughout the flood-affected areas and distraught relatives have been waiting for days, hoping for news.

An Indian Air Force helicopter flies over the Gauchar area of Uttarakhand

The Indian military is continuing their operations, flying helicopters into the mountains to evacuate several thousand Hindu pilgrims and tourists who are still stranded.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel search for flood victims in a damaged house in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand

In Uttarkashi town, rescue teams are continuing their operations in damaged houses, but the emphasis now is on recovering bodies rather than finding survivors.

This year's early monsoon rains in the Uttarakhand region are believed to be the heaviest in 80 years. Swollen rivers have swept away entire villages.

A stranded pilgrim receives water after he was rescued from Gaurikund, Uttarakhand

Temporary camps have been set up in various places in the mountains and the focus now is on providing food and medicine to thousands of local villagers and pilgrims who have taken shelter there.

Vehicle moves along a damaged road caused by landslides, in Gaucha, Uttarakhand

Only now are roads closed by landslides and floods being re-opened, although officials say it will be some time before communication links are fully restored.

Workers repair a road damaged by a landslide in Uttarakhand

Hundreds of road repairers are now hard at work as the authorities begin to restore road links in the state.

A man looks out as he drives past a damaged section of road between the town of Rudraprayag and Gauchar, Uttarakhand

Military and security services have begun winding down their rescue operation, but it can still take a long time to travel a short distance. The road between the towns of Rudraprayag and Gauchar is passable but only for single file traffic.

Students of Swaminarayan Gurukul Vishwavidhya Pratishthanam (SGVP) perform rituals during a “yagya,” or a fire ritual, to pray for the Uttarakhand flood victims in

Elsewhere in India, prayers are being said for the Uttarakhand flood victims. Students of Swaminarayan Gurukul Vishwavidhya Pratishthanam, along with their elders, performed a "yagya," or fire ritual, in the city of Ahmedabad.