By Our Staff Reporter
Uttarkashi, 10 May: On the holy festival of Akshaya Tritiya, the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri temples also opened today for the season amid Vedic chants and rituals. It may be recalled that, earlier in the morning, the portals of Kedarnath also opened today.
On this occasion, thousands of devotees from India and abroad witnessed the grandeur of divine religious traditions as well as the cultural richness of the origins of Ganga and Yamuna at Gangotri and Yamunotri, respectively. On the occasion of the inauguration, the devotees visited the temple and Akhand Jyoti after bathing in rivers Ganga and Yamuna.
Both the temples which are located in district Uttarkashi were bedecked with flowers while choppers showered flowers on the pilgrims. As part of the preparations for opening of the portals at Yamunotri Dham, the festive procession Doli of Goddess Yamuna left Khushimath Temple in Kharsali (The winter abode of Goddess Yamuna) at 6.29 a.m. for Yamunotri under the supervision of her brother, Lord Shanidev. In Kharsali, the villagers and folk Deities bid farewell to Yamuna’s procession in an emotional atmosphere. A military band comprising 15 women and 8 men was also part of the Doli Yatra under the leadership of District Commandant, Home Guards, Rudraprayag, Sunil Dangwal.
At Yamunotri Dham, on the occasion of Rohini Nakshatra, the portals of Yamunotri Temple were opened for the devotees at 10.29 a.m. by the Teerth Purohits amid Vedic chanting and rituals. On the occasion of opening of doors in Yamunotri, more than six thousand devotees along with SP, Vigilance, Dr Murugesan, MLA, Yamunotri, Sanjay Dobhal, Chairman of Yamunotri Temple Committee and SDM, Barkot, Mukesh Ramola, CO, Surendra Singh Bhandari, Secretary of the Temple Committee, Suresh Uniyal, Purohit Mahasabha President Purushottam Uniyal, Pawan Uniyal, Tirtha Purohits and many dignitaries were present.
At the same time, in Gangotri, the procession of Goddess Ganga reached Gangotri Dham with thousands of devotees after leaving Bhairoghati, with thousands in attendance. The portals of the Gangotri Temple opened at 12.25 p.m. in Abhijeet Muhurta at Gangotri Dham with the chant of Har-Har Ganga and accompanying worship and rituals. The music by the army band was a major centre of attraction. The regiment also arranged a Bhandara on the occasion for the devotees.
On the occasion of the inauguration of Gangotri Temple, MLA, Gangotri, Suresh Chauhan, Additional Director General of Police AP Anshuman, District Magistrate Dr Meharban Singh Bisht, Superintendent of Police Arpan Yaduvanshi, Chief Development Officer Jai Kishan, District Panchayat President Deepak Bijlwan, Deputy District Magistrate Brijesh Kumar Tiwari, Deputy Superintendent of Police Prashant Kumar, Tehsildar Suresh Semwal, Chairman of Gangotri Temple Committee. Harish Semwal, Secretary Suresh Semwal, Block Chief Bhatwadi Vineeta Rawat, Teerth Purohit and about eight thousand devotees were also present.
