Kedarnath to officially open after winter break

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna on Tuesday led thousands of devotees in paying obeisance at the famous Kedarnath temple whose gates were thrown open to public after the annual closure for winter.


The ceremonial opening of the temple doors took place amid chanting of hymns and blowing of conch shells in the presence of administrative and religious heads at the shrine located at a height of 3,584 metre in the Garhwal Himalayas.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the temple in Rudraprayag district is the remotest of the ' Char Dham' shrines.

Two of those -- Yamunotri and Gangotri -- reopened yesterday while the fourth, Badrinath, is scheduled to reopen on May 16.

The 'Char Dhams' reopen for pilgrims in April-May every year after remaining snowbound and inaccessible during winter.

The annual 'Char Dham' yatra is considered the backbone of the thriving religious tourism in the state, attracting nearly 15-16 lakh pilgrims every year from home and abroad.