Kedarnath temple gates to open for devotees on May 2

Rudraprayag: The doors of the Kedarnath temple in the Garhwal Himalayas will be reopened for devotees on May 2, after remaining closed for about six months during the winter season.

The gates will open at 7 am on May 2, as announced by Vijay Prasad Thapliyal, the Chief Executive Officer of the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, on Wednesday.

With the announcement of the opening of Kedarnath temple, the dates for the opening of all four sacred sites in the Garhwal Himalayas have now been fixed.

Badrinath Dham will open on May 4, while Gangotri and Yamunotri Dhams will open on April 30, on Akshaya Tritiya. These four sites together form the Chota Char Dham, a small pilgrimage circuit.

The auspicious hour and date for the opening of the Kedarnath temple were decided by religious gurus and Vedpathis on the occasion of Mahashivratri, after offering prayers at the Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath, the winter abode of Baba Kedar, he said.

Apart from the chief priest of Kedarnath temple Rawal Bhimshankar Ling, Kedarnath MLA Asha Nautiyal, temple committee officials, religious functionaries and hundreds of devotees were also present at the Omkareshwar temple which was decorated with flowers for the occasion.