Our Bureau
Dehradun
The auspicious season of the Char Dham yatra has begun with the opening of the sacred portals of Shri Kedarnath Dham at Gangotri in Uttarakhand. The state’s chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami attended temple portals’ opening ceremony along with his wife, where devotees had already flocked the premises, adorned with vibrant floral and traditional decorations.
The atmosphere turned mesmerising and divine with the tunes sung by the Indian Army, increasing the devotional fervour of the devotees gathered.
The sacred idol of the Lord Kedarnath was placed in the temple a day before the opening official on May 1. A journey known as the Panchmukhi Doli (palanquin), the idol was carried from Gaurikund in a procession where thousands chanted “Jai Baba Kedar” and reverberated their sacred spirit.
Describing the ritual on X, CM Dhami said, “Today, after the ritualistic worship at Gaurikund, the Panchmukhi idol of Baba Kedarnath reached the holy Shri Kedar Dham. When the Doli reached the temple premises, there was an atmosphere of devotion among the devotees, the entire Dham echoed with the chanting of ‘Jai Baba Kedar.”
Considering the influx of devotees at the pilgrimage every year, the security around the area has been beefed up to ensure a smooth passage of operations. The pilgrimage came to an end last year in November where the temple witnessed the same spirit and energy during its closing ceremony. Reverberating the environment were chants like “Om Namah Shivay” and “Jai Baba Kedar”, along with the holy music played by the Indian Army band.
The Char Dham Yatra—comprising Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath—is one of the most sacred pilgrimages for Hindus. The opening of the Kedarnath pilgrimage will be followed with the beginning of the other three including Badrinath Dham (May 4), Shri Tungnath Temple (May 2) and the Shri Madmaheshwar Temple (May 21).
