E-Paper
Portals of Kedarnath shrine opened for summer
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who attended the opening along with his wife and offered prayers, expressed happiness over the normal resumption of the Char Dham yatra after two years
Dehradun: The portals of the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand were opened for summer on Friday as priests offered the first prayers (Rudrabhishek) in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name in presence of around 10,000 pilgrims.
Only local priests and some officials were allowed during the opening of the portals last year as the Char Dham Yatra to four shrines, including Kedarnath, was postponed last year in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The portals were opened at 6.25 am amid Vedic chants as the temple, which is located nearly 3,500 metres above the sea level in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district, was decorated with nine quintals of flowers.
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who attended the opening along with his wife and offered prayers, expressed happiness over the normal resumption of the Char Dham Yatra after two years.
“Today, on the auspicious occasion of opening the portals of the world-famous Kedarnath Dham amid Vedic chants, I got the privilege of Rudrabhishek and darshan of Lord Kedareshwar. I prayed to Lord Shiva for the happiness, prosperity, and good luck for the nation, including the good health and long life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who realised the vision of Kedarnath Dham’s reconstruction and development,” said Dhami.
The portals of Badrinath and Hemkund Sahib in Chamoli will open on May 8 and May 22. Char Dham shrines remain shut for around six months every year. They open in April or May and close in October or November.
The state government has allowed 15,000 pilgrims to visit Badrinath daily, 12,000 to Kedarnath, 7,000 to Gangotri, and 4,000 to Yamunotri. The limit has been set for the first 45 days of the yatra.
