Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri collectively form the revered Char Dham, drawing thousands of pilgrims annually. According to the latest updates from authorities, the portals of Badrinath Dham will open on May 12 at 6 am, a significant announcement made online on February 14, coinciding with the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami.
Officials from the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) confirmed that the portals will indeed open on May 12 starting from 6 a.m. Harish Gaur, the media in-charge of BKTC, mentioned, “After the announcement of the portal opening for the Badrinath shrine, the date of the Tel-Kalash Yatra was also fixed on April 25.”
Ajendra Ajay, President of the Committee, shared details of the ceremonial proceedings. The royal priest Acharya Krishan Prasad Uniyal conducted prayers at the royal palace of Narendra Nagar. In the presence of Maharani Rajyakakshmi Shah, Member of Parliament (MP) from Tehri Lok Sabha, he read out the Almanac and declared the dates for the opening of the portals of the Badrinath shrine. Regarding the opening date for Kedarnath, officials announced that the decision will be made on Mahashivratri, scheduled for March 8, 2024.
Situated in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, Badrinath Dham remains closed for six months during winter (usually from October or November). The doors are reopened for the summer season (typically April or May) after an announcement at the Tehri Raj Darbar. As part of the ritual, the oil urn is taken from the Shri Lakshinarayan Temple by the Badrinath Dimri Religious Central Panchayat, handed over to Tehri Raj Darbar and then filled with sesame oil from the palace. The pot is then carried from the Narendra Nagar Raj Darbar to Dimmar, passing through the Narsingh Temple. After opening the temple doors, the oil pot is used for the daily anointing of the Lord.
In the previous year, the Char Dham yatra set a record with 56 lakh pilgrims, surpassing the 46 lakh pilgrims who visited the four Himalayan shrines in 2022. Reports indicate that over nine lakh pilgrims visited the Gangotri Dham shrine and seven lakh visited the Yamunotri Dham.
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