By OUR STAFF REPORTER
UKHIMATH (RUDRAPRAYAG), 18 Feb: The portals of Kedarnath Dham will open for devotees to visit on Tuesday, 25 April for this season at the auspicious time of 6:20 am. The date and time for the opening of the portals was fixed today at Ukhimath temple by the priests and the astrologers. It was decided that as per the rituals, the worship of Lord Bhairavnath will be conducted on 20 April. The Panchmukhi Doli of Lord Kedarnath will leave Ukhimath for Kedarnath on Friday, 21 April. On this day, Panchmukhi Doli Vishwanath Temple Guptkashi will rest. On 22 April, Doli will reach Phata for night rest. On 23 April, the Panchmukhi Doli will reach Gaurikund for night rest from Phata. On 24 April, the Panchmukhi Doli will finally reach Kedarnath Dham from Gaurikund and on Tuesday, April 25, at 6.20 am, the portals of the Kedarnath Dham will be thrown open for devotees after due rituals.
Every year, the date and timing of the opening of the portals of the Kedarnath shrine is decided in a religious ceremony held at Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath on Shivratri. Accordingly, a religious ceremony was held at Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhmath today on the occasion of Shivratri. Where as per the Panchang (The Vedic alamanac) calculations, the officials of the Badri-Kedarnath Temple Committee, the priests, the astrologers and those who have stake in the temple including the Teerth Purohits, held a meeting where the Acharya Vedpathi announced the day and time of the opening of the portals in the presence of local administration. It may be recalled that the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath is the winter abode of the Lord Kedarnath.
It may be further recalled that the portals of Badrinath Dham will open on 27 April, Thursday for this season. On the other hand, the portals of the Gangotri and the Yamunotri Dhams open on Akshaya Tritiya each year. This year, Akshaya Tritiya falls on 22 April, so in all likelihood, the portals of both the Gangotri and the Yamunotri may open on 22 April. However the dates of opening of the portals will be formally announced by the Gangotri-Yamunotri temple committees.
