On the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya, the portals of Kedarnath Dham, one of Lord Shiva’s twelve Jyotirlingas, were opened, symbolizing the ceremonial start of the pilgrimage season. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkhar Singh Dhami joined thousands of devotees from across the country for the sacred event, which was accompanied by the chanting of bhajans and ‘Har Har Mahadev’.
As devotees waited in line, helicopters showered them with flowers. Additionally, the portals of the Yamunotri and Gangotri temples were scheduled to open later in the day, while Badrinath Dham, revered as Lord Vishnu’s earthly abode, is set to open at 6 a.m. on May 12.
CM Dhami, accompanied by his wife Geeta Dhami, prayed as the doors to Kedarnath Dham opened. Earlier, he extended warm wishes to devotees visiting holy shrines, wishing them a safe and joyful journey. The temple was adorned with 20 quintals of flowers prior to the opening ceremony, according to the president of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee.
Also read: Kedarnath and Char Dham Yatra To Be Resumed Again On Orders Of Uttarakhand High Court
The five-faced idol of Baba Kedar, carried in the Panchmukhi Doli from its winter home at Ukhimath’s Omkareshwar temple, arrived at Kedarnath Dham on Thursday at 4:45 p.m. to traditional drum beats and devotional tunes played by the Army Band.
Every year, barefoot volunteers from the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) carry the idol, a tradition that precedes the temple’s opening to devotees. The Kedarnath temple, located near the Mandakini river in Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand, is approximately 3,500 meters above sea level. On November 15, 2023, the temple doors closed for the winter season, witnessed by 2,500 pilgrims.
Last year, the Char Dham yatra set a new record, with more than 5.6 million pilgrims. In 2022, the four revered Himalayan shrines will welcome over 4.6 million pilgrims. These holy sites are extremely sacred in Hinduism.