Dehra Dun: The portals of famous Himalayan
shrine of Badrinath will reopen for pilgrims on April 29.
The Badrinath shrine would be reopened at 04:00 hours on
April 29, Sri Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee officials
said here on Saturday.
The "mahurat (time)" to reopen the shrine, situated at a
height of 3,133 meters in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, was
taken by Rajpurohit at Narendranagar Palace of erstwhile Tehri
kingdom in the presence of Maharaja Manujendra Shah and others
on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchmi today.
The Chardhams comprising the shrines of Badrinath,
Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri nestling in dizzying heights
of Garhwal Himalayas reopen for pilgrims in April-May every
year after remaining closed for nearly six months during
winters as the area remain snow-bound during the period.
The decision regarding reopening of Kedarnath, Gangotri
and Yamunotri would be taken later.
The annual Chardham yatra is considered as a backbone of
the thriving religious tourism in the state that attracts
nearly 15-16 lakh pilgrims every year from home and abroad.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, January 28, 2012, 15:02