Dehradun/Rishikesh: The sacred portals of Badrinath temple will be reopened for devotees on April 27 at 7.10 am, a Rajpurohit from Rajdarbar in Narendra Nagar on Thursday announced. As per tradition, the time and date for the opening of the famous temple were decided at a religious ceremony held at the erstwhile Tehri royal palace in Narendra Nagar on the occasion of Basant Panchami, the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee said.
The 'Gaadu Ghada' (oil pitcher) yatra will begin on April 12, it said. As part of the yatra, a pitcher containing sesame oil is carried to the Himalayan temple ahead of its opening every year. The portals of Badrinath, a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Vishnu were closed for the winter season on November 19. It remains snowbound throughout winter and is reopened at the start of summer.
Also read: Badrinath head priest urges authorities to halt works affecting Joshimath, the Himalayan region
Speaking to the media about the Joshimath subsidence, the President of the Badri Kedar Temple Committee said, "The affected people have been shifted to safe places in a very less time. CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has visited the affected places twice. However, devotees are welcome to the temple as this place is safe."
The temple is mentioned in ancient religious texts like Vishnu Purana and Skanda Purana. It is glorified in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham. Badrinath temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu and is situated in the town of Badrinath in Uttarakhand. This place is one of the holiest places. The temple is located on Garhwal hill tracks in the Chamoli district along the banks of the Alanknanda river. It is one of the most visited pilgrimage centres in India.
