New Delhi: The Badrinath Dham opened its doors on Sunday at 6:15 am with rituals and chanting and the tunes of the army band for devotees who had gathered early in the morning to view the portals open. Badrinath Dham opens for six months every year between the end of April and the beginning of November. The shrine is one of the four ancient pilgrimage sites referred to as 'Char Dham' which also include Yamunotri, Gangotri, and Kedarnath. It is situated in the town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand.
The temple was decorated with flowers and lights prior to the ceremony. It is located in Garhwal hill tracks in Chamoli district along the banks of Alaknanda River, Badrinath Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
Ahead of the ceremony, on Saturday, the senior officials of police had instructed the on-duty police personnel to be extra cautious. Security and other arrangements were made in the Chamoli district area ahead of the reopening of Badrinath Dham. 3 COs, 9 inspectors, and 26 sub-inspectors were deployed along with SDRF & fire units, Shweta Choubey, SP Chamoli told ANI on Saturday.
Kedarnath Temple opened its doors for pilgrims on Friday morning.
The annual Chardham Yatra began on May 3 on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri temples in the Uttarkashi district.
Earlier this month, the state government capped the number of pilgrims visiting the Char Dhams.
A total of 15,000 pilgrims will be allowed daily at Badrinath, 12,000 at Kedarnath, 7,000 at Gangotri and 4,000 at Yamunotri. This arrangement has been made for 45 days.
This year, it is not mandatory for pilgrims to carry a negative COVID-19 test report or vaccination certificate.
Char Dhams draw lakhs of tourists and devotees every year from across the country and abroad.
ALSO READ: Over 10 Rounds Of Firing In Delhi's Subhash Nagar, 2 Injured. Police Reach Spot