Home Uttarakhand Portals of Kedarnath Temple open for season amid Vedic chants & rituals

Portals of Kedarnath Temple open for season amid Vedic chants & rituals

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By Our Staff Reporter

Kedarnath (Rudraprayag), 10 May: The portals of the Eleventh Jyotirling, Kedarnath Dham, formally opened this morning amid Vedic chants and rituals at 7 a.m. Today was the auspicious occasion of Akhshaya Tritiya. The portals opened amid chants, and devotional tunes played by the band of the Grenadier Regiment of the Army. On this occasion, more than ten thousand devotees were present including Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and other dignitaries.

Dhami congratulated all the devotees and prayed for the prosperity of the country and the state. He expressed confidence that, this time, the Chardham Yatra will create a new record and asserted that the state government is committed to providing best facilities to the pilgrims. The temple was decorated with more than 20 quintals of flowers on this occasion.

At the time of opening of the portals, flowers were also showered on the pilgrims from a helicopter flying over the temple. In addition, bhandaras were also organised at various places for the devotees.

The weather remained clear in Kedarnath today although it was cold at the dham due to snow nearby. As part of the process of opening of the portals, yesterday evening, the Panchmukhi Dev Doli of Lord Kedarnath reached Kedarnath Dham from the Panchkedar Gaddi site, Omkareshwar Temple, Ukhimath, while having halts at Guptkashi, Fata and Gaurikund on the way.

Today, the process of arrival of pilgrims started from 4 a.m. in the temple premises and a long queue was seen for the Darshan outside the temple since early morning, waiting for the opening of the portals.

Rawal Bhimanshankar Ling, BKTC President Ajendra Ajay, Chief Executive Officer Yogendra Singh, priests, Dharmacharya, Vedpathis, Kedar Sabha officials and District Magistrate Dr Saurabh Gaharwar also reached before the opening of the portals from the East Gate. After that Rawal Dharmacharya and the priests began the puja at the portals by invoking Lord Bhairav Nath and Lord Shiva. At exactly 7 a.m., the doors of the Kedarnath Temple were opened.

After the opening of the portals, the Swayambhu Shivalinga of Lord Kedarnath was adorned with a samadhi form and darshan of Lord Kedarnath allowed for the devotees.

On the occasion, BKTC President Ajendra Ajay extended his best wishes and said that, during the last Yatra period, a record number of pilgrims had reached Kedarnath Dham, and this year also the number of devotees would increase, upon which the State Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the Temple Committee are working.

It may be recalled that, according to the programme, Lord Bhairav Nath was worshiped at Omkareshwar Temple, Ukhimath on 6 May. Panchmukhi Bhogmurti of Lord Kedarnath reached Kedarnath Dham yesterday.  Media in-charge of BKTC Harish Gaur said that with the opening of the portals of Bhakunt Bhairav Temple in Kedarnath Dham, tomorrow, daily aartis and evening aartis will start at the Kedarnath Temple.

At the time of opening of the portals today, Kedarnath Dham’s Rawal Bhimashankar Ling, Priest Shivshankar Ling, Vice President of State Culture and Arts Council Madhu Bhatrit, Temple Committee members Srinivas Posti, Virendra Aswal, Chief Executive Officer Yogendra Singh, Executive Officer RC Tiwari, Dharmacharya Aukar Shukla, Yashodhar Maithani, Vishwamohan Jamloki, Swayamvar Semwal, Pradeep Semwal, Arvind Shukla, Kuldeep Dharmawan, Devanand Gairola, etc., were also present.