Amid chanting of shlokas (hymns) and energetic drumbeats, the doors of Kedarnath Dham opened to pilgrims on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 morning.
Uttarakhand Director General of Police Ashok Kumar told ANI, "As weather conditions have improved, pilgrims are allowed to visit the Kedarnath Dham", DGP Ashok Kumar said.
Earlier, Char Dham Yatris were being stopped at various places and Badrinath Yatris going towards Kedarnath Dham were being stopped at Srinagar Garhwal following instructions from the weather department.
Ahead of the opening of one of the country's holiest pilgrimage sites, the abode of Lord Shiva was decorated with 20 quintals of flowers.
Security has been strengthened at various places in view of the same, informed the police.
The doors of Kedarnath Dham opened or pilgrims on Tuesday morning.
Also, according to the police, pilgrims with prior registration of travel and hotel booking are being allowed to move to Rudraprayag while others were being stopped at Srinagar.
"In view of the Yatra, the entire district has been divided into five sectors in which sub-inspector rank officers have been deployed who will look after the traffic system. Along with this, Circle Officer has been posted as Zonal Officer", SP Dobhal said.
Meanwhile, an alert for heavy snowfall and rain has been issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Kedarnath and Badrinath areas for the next seven days.
Meanwhile, the first batch of pilgrims left Haridwar for the Char Dham Yatra on Saturday.
The Yatra began from Yamunotri Dham on the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya.
The Uttarakhand government has closed fresh registrations of pilgrims for Kedarnath until April 30th, following a warning from the Meteorological office predicting snowfall and rain in the area until April 29th.
In light of the adverse weather conditions, the chairman of the temple committee has urged devotees to strictly adhere to the guidelines issued by the state government before embarking on their journey.
The chairman has also requested pilgrims to make adequate arrangements for their stay in Kedarnath in advance, considering the unpredictable weather conditions.
Kedarnath is a revered pilgrimage destination for Hindus, and thousands of devotees visit the temple annually.
The Kedarnath temple, which is situated at an altitude of 3,583 meters above sea level, is considered one of the holiest sites for Hindus. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is a part of the famous Chhota Char Dham Yatra.