Portals of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath Dham open as Char Dham Yatra commences

The Char Dham Yatra commenced on Friday with the opening of the portals of Yamunotri, Gangotri and Kedarnath Dham amid Vedic chants on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya in Garhwal Himalayas. The shrines, decked up with flowers, saw a sea of pilgrims on the first day.

The portal of the Kedarnath Dham shrine opened at 7am amid Vedic prayers offered by temple priests headed by Rawal (head priest) Bhima Shankar Ling and Shiv Shankar Ling.

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and his wife were present during the opening of the portals at Kedarnath.

“Char Dham Yatra this year will set a new record. The state government is committed to providing safe and hassle free yatra to the pilgrims,” Dhami said.

Over 7,000 devotees witnessed the opening event, and the pilgrims were showered with flower petals by a helicopter.

Harish Gaur, the media in-charge of the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee, said, “The Panchmukhi Utsav Doli (Palanquin) carrying the idol of Lord Kedarnath which started its Journey from Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath and passing through various stages via Guptkashi, Phata, Gaurikund reached Kedarnath shrine on Thursday evening. It was then reinstalled in the temple amid prayers and special rituals that began at 4am on Friday by Rawal Dharmacharya and priests after which the portals of Kedarnath temple were opened at exactly 7am for devotees.”

The portals of Yamunotri shrine, the holy abode of Goddess Yamuna in Uttarkashi district, opened for devotees at 10.29am amid Vedic chants. The idol of Lord Shani Dev, brother of Goddess Yamuna, led the procession from Khushimath in Kharsali to the Yamunotri shrine, said the temple committee officials.

“The prayers were offered at Yamuna temple in Kharsali after which the Doli of Goddess Yamuna was sent off to its summer abode in Yamunotri where the prayers were offered and after the traditional rituals, the portals were opened at 10.29am,” Purshotam Uniyal, secretary of the Yamunotri Temple Committee, said.

Himesh Bhai, 35, a pilgrim from Ahmedabad, said, “We are blessed to get the darshan of Yamuna Devi on the opening day of the yatra.”

The portals of Shri Tungnath temple, the revered third Kedar temple among five Kedar temples (Panchkedar) in Rudraprayag district, opened at 12 noon. More than 2,500 devotees were present, said BKTC officials.

The portals of Gangotri Dham were opened at 12.25 pm after the Doli of Goddess Ganga reached the shrine from Bhairav Nath temple in Bhairav Ghati, said the Gangotri temple priest committee officials.

Harish Semwal, president Shri Panch Mandir Samiti Gangotri said, “The Utsav Doli of Goddess Ganga reached Gangotri shrine early morning from its winter abode in Mukhba and after traditional prayers and Vedic chants, the portals of the shrine were opened for the devotees at 12.25 pm on Friday”.

Smita Garg, a devotee from Noida said, “ We were able to offer prayers after the opening of the portals of Gangotri shrine and took holy dip in Ganga also known as Bhagirathi here”.