Char Dham pilgrims awaiting their turn to pray at the Kedarnath temple. (Vinay Santosh Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)With the doors of Shri Kedarnath Mandir thrown open to the public on 9 May, the legendary Char Dham yatra has begun with the ever-enthusiastic devotees chanting the hymns of the Vedas and entering the Mandir at 5:33 am, reports Zee News.
The six-month-long Char Dham Yatra, circuiting a set of four Hindu pilgrimage shrines- Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri at the heights of the Garhwal Himalayas, has begun on the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya.
In the meantime, the gates of Gangotri and Yamunotri opened at 11:30 am, with thousands of devotees awaiting darshan.
The Yatra attracts lakhs of devotees from all over the world, every year. The pilgrimage commences from Yamunotri and meanders through Gangotri, Kedarnath before concluding in Badrinath, which would open to pilgrims from today (10 May).
These shrines remain closed from October-November every year because of heavy snowfall and reopen in April-May.
Arrangements are made for 3,000 pilgrims by the government by setting up tents in Kedarnath. Though the snowfall is still happening in the area, the path to the shrine is cleared as a measure to conduct the pilgrimage smoothly.
An Appeal...
Dear Reader,
As you are no doubt aware, Swarajya is a media product that is directly dependent on support from its readers in the form of subscriptions. We do not have the muscle and backing of a large media conglomerate nor are we playing for the large advertisement sweep-stake.
Our business model is you and your subscription. And in challenging times like these, we need your support now more than ever.
We deliver over 10 - 15 high quality articles with expert insights and views. From 7AM in the morning to 10PM late night we operate to ensure you, the reader, get to see what is just right.
Becoming a Patron or a subscriber for as little as Rs 1200/year is the best way you can support our efforts.