Sunday, 08 May | PNS | New Tehri
A day after the portals of Kedarnath shrine were opened to the public, the shrine of Bhukund Bhairav was ritually opened on Saturday. The sacred flag atop the Kedarnath temple was also replaced with a new flag on the occasion.
The Kedarnath temple was opened to the public on May 6. According to tradition, the shrine of Bhukund Bhairav is opened on the first Tuesday or Saturday after the opening of the Kedarnath temple. With the Bhairav shrine being opened on Saturday, the evening Arti in the Kedarnath temple was also started.
Earlier in the morning, the priest Gangadhar Ling conducted a Mahabhishek of lord Bhairav. The deity was bathed in honey, ghee and oil. An Arti was conducted and a special invocation was made along with various other traditional rituals in the worship of lord Bhairav. According to religious belief, Bhairav is considered the Kshetrapal (guardian) of lord Shiva. Considering this, those who pay their obeisance at the Kedarnath temple are also expected to visit the Bhairav temple in order to get their wishes fulfilled.
