Portals of Kedarnath Dham opened for devotees

The portals of Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand’s Rudraprayag district were opened for devotees at 7am on Friday amid chants of mantras and traditional rituals. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was among the dignitaries present on the occasion.

The temple premises echoed with chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’, and devotional tunes played by the band of the Grenadiers Regiment of the Indian Army. The event was marked by the showering of petals on devotees from a helicopter.

“This year’s Char Dham Yatra will set new records, and the state government has made all necessary arrangements for the smooth and successful conduct of the Yatra, prioritising the convenience, safety, and ease of travel for the pilgrims,” Dhami said.

Dhami said Kedarnath Dham is not only a major centre of religious faith for Sanatan Dharma followers, but also a symbol of India’s spiritual and cultural heritage.

“The Panchmukhi Doli (palanquin) of Lord Kedarnath had reached the Kedarnath Dham on Thursday evening after traversing through various stopovers like Guptkashi, Phata, and Gauri Kund from its winter abode at the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath and was kept in the treasury overnight,” Vijay Prasad Thapliyal, CEO of the Badrinath Kedarnath temple committee (BKTC), said.

Devotees gathered for the darshan amid tight security by the district administration.

“The temple of Baba Kedar was decorated with flowers, giving a divine fragrance and the Darshan on the opening day of the lord was a memorable experience,” Himani Sharma, a devotee from Noida, said.

Anand Shukla, the temple priest from Kedar Sabha, said, “The pilgrims had darshan of the Lord as per the rituals and the yatra will now go on for six months.”