First 'Abhishek puja' at Badrinath performed in name of PM Modi, says Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee President

As the portals of one of the country's holiest sites, Badrinath Dham, opened for devotees after a gap of six months, 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."

Earlier, Chief Minisiter Dhami, while welcoming devotees, said, "Today the portals of Shri Badrinath Dham have opened; we welcome all the devotees... Our effort is that no one faces any problems in the journey and the journey should be done in an orderly manner. In the initial days, more people are reaching, hereby, I request to start the journey only after getting information about the rules of the journey, booking, registration, weather, and other important details."


The Shri Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand opened its doors for devotees at 6 am on Sunday morning amid chimes of melodious tunes by the Army Band with complete rituals, vedic chants and slogans of 'Badri Vishal Lal Ki Jai'. Shri Badrinath Dham opened its gates for devotees after a break of six months.

The shrine of Shri Badrinath Dham is located among the snow-capped mountains of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand state. Thousands of devotees thronged the entry of Badrinath Dham, with the entrance decked up with flowers.

Located in Garhwal hill tracks in Chamoli district along the banks of Alaknanda River, Badrinath Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.

With the discharge of religious traditions, Kuber Ji, Shri Uddhav Ji and Gadu Ghada were brought to the temple premises from the south gate. After this, the doors of the temple were opened with rituals by the chief priest of the temple, Rawal, Dharmadhikari, Haq Hukukdhari and officials of the Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee in the presence of the administration and thousands of devotees.

The Badrinath Yatra is a significant pilgrimage in Hinduism, primarily undertaken by devotees of Lord Vishnu. The pilgrimage for Char Dham usually commences around late April or early May and goes on till November.

The Char Dham Yatra commenced in Uttarakhand on May 10. For the last two days, all three Dhams including Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri have been bustling.

On the first day, a record number of more than 29,000 pilgrims from India and abroad visited Kedarnath Dham. (ANI)