Kedarnath temple reopens for devotees
What's the story
The gates of the Shri Kedarnath Dham, a popular Hindu shrine of Lord Shiva, reopened for devotees at 7:00am on Friday.
Over 12,000 pilgrims graced the ceremonial opening.
The Indian Army band played devotional tunes, and flowers were showered over the pilgrims from a helicopter.
The temple is the third in the Char Dham circuit to reopen following the winter break. Gangotri and Yamunotri temples opened on April 30, while Badrinath will open on May 4.
Global homage
Temple adorned with flowers from around the world
The Kedarnath temple has been resplendently adorned with 108 quintals of flowers of 54 varieties.
The blooms were imported from different countries, including Nepal, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami attended the inauguration ceremony and was the first to perform a puja at the temple once the gates were opened, praying for everyone's well-being and prosperity.
Twitter Post
CM and his wife serve 'Bhandara' to devotees
#WATCH | Uttarakhand: Portals of Shri Kedarnath Dham opened for the devotees
— ANI (@ANI) May 2, 2025
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and his wife Geeta Dhami serve 'Bhandara' to the devotees at Kedarnath Dham. pic.twitter.com/5a1VDM2gid
Dignitaries present
Special treat for pilgrims
Several dignitaries attended the opening ceremony, including Rawal (Chief Priest) Bhimashankar Ling, priest Bagesh Ling, Kedarnath MLA Asha Nautiyal, Rudraprayag's District Magistrate Saurabh Gaharwar, BKTC Chief Executive Officer Vijay Prasad Thapliyal, and Tirtha priest Srinivas Posti.
This year, a special treat for pilgrims is a grand "aarti" at the confluence of the Mandakini and Saraswati rivers near the temple.
The event, modeled after the Ganga Aarti in Varanasi, Haridwar, and Rishikesh, will be conducted by priests.