PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Jyotirmath
The Badrinath Dham was opened to pilgrims ceremoniously early on Thursday morning. With the reopening of Badrinath, all the Char Dham are now open for devotees with the Yatra picking up pace. Amidst Vedic chants and rituals, the Dham was reopened to devotees at 6:15 AM. About 15,000 devotees offered prayers at the shrine on the occasion. Attending the occasion, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami offered the first Mahabhishek Pooja on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi while praying for peace and prosperity in the nation and Uttarakhand. Dhami also offered prayers at the Lakshmi Mandir, Ganesh Mandir and at the seat of Adi Shankaracharya during his visit.
The Badrinath temple was decorated with more than 25 quintals of flowers. Women from nearby Mana and Bamni villages sang traditional devotional songs.
Welcoming pilgrims from across India and abroad on the occasion, the CM said that the Char Dham Yatra is expected to set new records this year. All necessary steps have been taken to provide necessary facilities to pilgrims while ensuring their convenience and safety. The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee chairman Hemant Dwivedi greeted the pilgrims on the occasion. He claimed that the State government is providing better facilities to the pilgrims undertaking the Yatra. Work plans are being executed on priority basis for further enhancing facilities for the Char Dham Yatra. All possible facilities are being provided for the pilgrims and the BKTC is also ensuring better management in the interests of the visitors, he claimed.
It will be recalled that Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham were reopened to devotees on April 19 while Kedarnath was reopened on April 22. With the reopening of Badrinath on Thursday, the Char Dham Yatra is now underway in a full-fledged manner.
