Badrinath Temple Reopens: A Sacred Start to the Pilgrimage Season

The Badrinath temple in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district is set to reopen for devotees on April 23 after a six-month winter closure. The reopening date was declared following traditional ceremonies at the Tehri Royal Palace during Basant Panchami. Other Char Dham shrines will also reopen in April.

The revered Badrinath temple in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand, will welcome devotees again on April 23 after being closed for six months during the harsh winter season. Temple officials confirmed the date on Friday, following a ceremony filled with age-old traditions.

The auspicious timing was determined after a series of prayers and rituals conducted at the Tehri Royal Palace in Tehri district during the Basant Panchami celebration. Hemant Dwivedi, chairman of the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, announced that the gates will open at precisely 6:15 AM, a time chosen by consulting both the almanack and the horoscope of the Maharaja.

The ceremony was graced by dignitaries, including Maharaja Manujendra Shah, royal priest Acharya Krishna Prasad Uniyal, and Lok Sabha member Mala Rajya Lakshmi Shah, along with numerous pilgrimage priests. In a related note, the Gangotri and Yamunotri temples will reopen on April 19, while the Kedarnath Dham's reopening date will be revealed on Maha Shivratri.

(With inputs from agencies.)