By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 8 Mar: The portals of the eleventh Jyotirlinga, the Kedarnath Dham, will open on 10 May this year.
This was announced today by the top priest of the temple, Rawal Bhimashankar Linga, at a function organised at Omkareshwar Temple, the winter abode of Lord Kedar Nath. Every year, the date for opening of the portals of the Kedarnath Dham is announced after due astrological and astronomical consultations on Maha Shivratri day. As per the announcement made today in the presence of Chairman of Badri-Kedar Temple Committee, Ajendra Ajay, the portals of Kedarnath Dham will open on 10 May at 7 a.m.
Today, on the occasion of Maha Shivratri, the date of opening of the portals was decided during a religious ceremony organised at Panchkedar Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath (District Rudraprayag). The Panchmukhi Bhog idol of Lord Kedarnath will be worshiped along with Bhairav Nath at Panchkedar Gaddi site at Omkareshwar Temple Ukhimath on 5 May, following which the Panchmukhi Doli will leave for Kedarnath Dham on 6 May. The doli will reach Kedarnath Dham on 9 May evening after passing through various stops. The morning after this, the portals will open for the new season at 7 a.m.
Rawal Bhimashankar Linga of Kedarnath was also present while deciding the date of opening. On this occasion of Maha Shivratri, Omkareshwar Temple was decorated with many quintals of flowers. Last year, all the previous records of Kedarnath Yatra were broken. This time even more devotees are expected to come to Kedarnath.
It may also be recalled that the date for opening of Badrinath Dham, the most popular Dham in Uttarakhand of Lord Vishnu, has already been announced on Basant Panchami and, as per the announcement, the portals of Badrinath will open on 12 May.
