By Arun Pratap Singh
Rishikesh, 14 Apr: The grand and sacred Gadu Ghada (pitcher or Kalash) Yatra, bearing the sesame oil used in the consecration of Lord Badri Vishal, will ceremoniously commence on 22 April, from the royal court at Narendra Nagar. On the same evening, the procession carrying the sanctified oil urns will arrive at the Chela Chetram Dharamshala of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, situated on Railway Road in Rishikesh.
According to Harish Gaur, Media In Charge of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), the office-bearers and members of the Dimri Religious Central Panchayat will reach the temple committee’s Dharamshala in Rishikesh on the evening of 21 April. On the following morning, they will proceed to the royal premises at Narendra Nagar. There, in keeping with ancient tradition, married women, clad in auspicious yellow attire, shall crush sesame seeds in wooden mortars, extracting the oil by hand and collecting it in the silver urns.
In the evening, the sacred oil vessels would be dispatched to Badrinath Dham by Tehri Royal Manujayendra Shah amidst Vedic chants and ritual observance.
On this occasion, notable dignitaries including the royal priest, Krishna Prasad Uniyal, President of the Dimri Religious Central Panchayat Ashutosh Dimri, Vice President Bhaskar Dimri, Chief Executive Officer of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Vijay Prasad Thapliyal, Chief Finance Officer Anand Singh, Officer on Special Duty Ramesh Singh Rawat, Executive Engineer Anil Dhyani, Assistant Engineer Vipin Tiwari, and Private Secretary Pramod Nautiyal, along with several other officials and a large number of devotees is expected.
On 23 April, rituals and veneration of the Gadu Kalash would be held at the Chela Chetram Dharamshala in Rishikesh, where devotees would be granted darshan and partake in the distribution of sacred offerings. By afternoon, the holy urn would proceed towards Muni Ki Reti for its onward journey.
As per the itinerary fixed for the events, the procession would reach Srinagar (District Pauri) on 24 April and arrive at the Lakshmi Narayan Temple in Dimmer village on 25 April, where the urn would rest until 29 April.
Thereafter, on 30 April, the yatra would begin for and reach Garuda Ganga in Pakhi, and on 1 May. Following the worship and the due rituals at the Garuda Temple, the procession would proceed to the Narasimha Temple in Joshimath. After sacred rites and offerings, the Kalash along with the revered seat of Adi Guru Shankaracharya would proceed on onward journey to Yog Badri in Pandukeshwar on 2 May, accompanied by Rawal Amarnath Namboodiri.
In the evening of 3 May, the divine palanquins (Dolis) of Uddhav, Kuber, the Gadu Ghada, the Adi Guru’s throne, along with officials of the temple committee and members of the Dimri Religious Central Panchayat, are expected to arrive at the holy shrine of Badrinath Dham.
On the auspicious morning of 4 May, at the prefixed auspicious time at 6 p.m., the portals of Lord Badrinath Temple will be ceremoniously opened for darshan, thereby heralding the commencement of the annual pilgrimage season.
At the same time, it may be recalled that the portals of Lord Kedarnath Temple are scheduled to open on 2 May. On 27 April, the ritual worship of Bhairavnath shall be held at Lord Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath. On 28 April, the Panchmukhi idol of Baba Kedarnath would depart from Ukhimath and, after halting at various sacred sites, will reach the Kedarnath Dham on the evening of 1 May, one day prior to the opening of the portals of Lord Kedarnath.
