As the gates were opened at one of country’s holiest sites, Badrinath Dham, after the gap of six months for the devotees, the first puja was performed in the name of PM 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.”
With melodious tunes by the Army Band, 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.
Shri Badrinath Dham is located among the snow-capped mountains of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand state.
The Badrinath Yatra is a significant pilgrimage in Hinduism, primarily undertaken by devotees of Lord Vishnu. The pilgrimage for Char Dham usually takes place 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.