THE doors of the Badrinath temple in the Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand opened for devotees on Sunday after remaining closed during the winter season. With the opening of the shrine, the Chardham Yatra to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri has started. The doors of the Badrinath temple were opened after six months amid the chanting of vedic mantras, a pooja and beats of dhols and nagadas, authorities said. The first puja was performed in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee President Ajendra Ajay said, “Today at 6 am, the doors of Shri Badrinath Dham have been opened for devotees. Our first Abhishek Puja has been done in the name of Prime Minister Modi. Crowds of devotees are seen on the temple premises. There was some rain at the time of the opening of the doors but there was no decrease in the number of devotees. We are making efforts to make the journey of the devotees smooth.”

 

Scores of devotees had gathered on the premises of the temple, which was decked up with 15 quintals of flowers, to witness the ceremony despite rain. The doors opened at 6 am after two hours of rituals. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami greeted the people on the occasion. Temple chief priest Rawal Ishwar Prasad Namboodiri, members of the Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee, including its chairperson Ajendra Ajay, and Chamoli District Magistrate Himanshu Khurana, among others were present. The pooja to open the doors was performed by Namboodiri in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The doors of the Kedarnath, Yamyunotri and the Gangotri temples opened for devotees on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya on Friday.