Badrinath temple reopens for Hindu pilgrims

Chamoli, May 9 (ANI): Portals of the Badrinath temple situated in Uttarakhand's Chamoli District reopened on Monday after remaining closed for six months.

Amid a chanting of vedic hymns and shlokas, the chief priest of the Badrinath shrine opened the doors of the temple early this morning.

Shankaracharya, the head priest of the temple, said: "From today, the entry to the temple would be opened for the everybody for a period of six months. A special date for the reopening is decided upon on the occasion of Akshay Tritya It is a tradition, which has been maintained since many years, and we would continue to do so."

"We have made every possible arrangement for the convenience of the devotees on the occasion of reopening of gates of the temple lord Badrinath. Like previous years we have tried to deliver the best of arrangements and are striving to make sure that the devotees are able to worship in a time bound manner," said Anusuyya Prasad Bhatt, President, Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee.

Meanwhile, devotees expressed their happiness on being able to visit the temple on the auspicious occasion.

"By the grace of Lord Badrinath I have been able to enter the temple on the reopening of the gates. I have come here twice earlier but I always wanted to visit when the portals are opened hence this time I visited with my entire family," said Jagmohan.

With the opening of portals of Badrinath, all the four shrines collectively known as Chardham have been thrown open for pilgrims.

The Chardham Yatra comprising pilgrimage to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri nestling in Garhwal Himalayas started with the opening of portals of both Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines on May 6. (ANI)