Kedarnath Temple to reopen for devotees on May 17, Badrinath on May 18

Dehradun: The portals of Kedarnath Temple will be reopened for devotees on May 17, a spokesperson of the Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board announced on Thursday.

The idol of Lord Shiva will be moved out of its winter abode at Ukhimath's Omkareshwar temple on May 14. The famous temple will reopen for devotees at 5 am on May 17.

The temple was closed on November 16 last year. Badrinath Temple, which was closed on November 19, will reopen to devotees on May 18, the spokesperson said.

Gangotri and Yamunotri temples will reopen on May 14. The Char Dham Yatra will begin this year after the reopening of the four temples.

The portals of the four famous Himalayan shrines - Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri - are opened every year between April and May after a six-month closure during which they remain snowbound.