The portals of Kedarnath Dham were opened for devotees at 8 am on Wednesday amid Vedic chants, traditional rituals and echoes of “Har Har Mahadev,” marking the beginning of this year’s Char Dham Yatra.
Thousands of devotees gathered at the Himalayan shrine, beautifully decorated with around 15 quintals of flowers, to witness the sacred ceremony. The opening brought back spiritual vibrancy to the high-altitude temple dedicated to Lord Shiva.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, accompanied by his wife Geeta Dhami, attended the ceremony and performed special prayers, seeking happiness and prosperity for the state and its people.
Calling the experience “delightful,” the chief minister praised the arrangements made for devotees and said efforts had been taken to ensure smooth and accessible darshan. He said the queue system has been streamlined so that even the last devotee can have a comfortable visit, adding that early pilgrims completed darshan within minutes. Dhami also appealed to visitors to support a “Green Yatra” by keeping the shrine area plastic-free.
Officials said improved crowd management measures, including online registration and a token-based system, have been introduced to regulate pilgrim flow and ensure safety. Chairman of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Hemant Dwivedi said the priority this year is to provide simple, safe and well-managed darshan for all pilgrims.
Ahead of the Yatra, the chief minister conducted on-ground inspections of the Kedarnath Highway and nearby areas, expressing confidence that all preparations — including medical services, sanitation, security and accessibility — are in place.
With the temple doors opening, Kedarnath once again becomes the spiritual heart of Shiva devotion, drawing pilgrims from across India and abroad.
The portals of Badrinath Dham will open on April 23, while the temples of Yamunotri and Gangotri were opened earlier on April 19, completing the annual Char Dham pilgrimage circuit.
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