The doors of Kedarnath Dham were officially opened on Friday, marking the commencement of the Char Dham Yatra.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami attended the auspicious occasion and later distributed a special bhandara among the devotees. This year, the Kedarnath Dham has introduced a Mukhya Sevak Bhandara for the pilgrims, further enhancing the spiritual experience for those visiting the sacred site.
While addressing the gathering, CM Dhami informed the devotees that the Char Dham Yatra began on April 30 and that the doors of Lord Badrinath Dham would open two days after May 2. He assured the pilgrims that the state government had made comprehensive arrangements to ensure their journey remains safe and hassle-free.
“Char Dham Yatra has started on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya on 30th April... Two days from today, the doors of Lord Badrinath Vishal will also open, and the yatra will start in full swing. We have tried to ensure that the journey of the devotees is safe and they do not face any kind of trouble during the journey, and for this, we have made appropriate arrangements,” CM Dhami stated.
In a special ceremony, a helicopter showered blessings on the devotees while an Indian Army Band played devotional tunes. Addressing the challenges the country faces, CM Dhami also prayed for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging strength for the leader to combat terrorism and separatism.
“Today, we have also done puja here in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Today, issues like terrorism and separatism, which are in front of us, Baba will give strength to our Prime Minister and the enemies, demons who did such an incident in Pahalgam will be finished,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Panchmukhi Doli of Lord Kedarnath made its arrival at Kedarnath Dham on Thursday, greeted by the chanting of ‘Jai Baba Kedar’ that resonated throughout the Kedar Valley, setting the spiritual tone for the yatra.