The annual pilgrimage to Kedarnath will commence on April 22 this year, while the sacred Char Dham Yatra will begin on the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya, which falls on April 19. The portals of the Badrinath shrine will open on April 23.
Photo: ANI
The annual pilgrimage to Kedarnath will commence on April 22 this year, while the sacred Char Dham Yatra will begin on the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya, which falls on April 19. The portals of the Badrinath shrine will open on April 23.
The date for the opening of Kedarnath temple was announced on Sunday by temple priests, in accordance with long-standing tradition, on the occasion of Mahashivratri at the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath.
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The announcement was made in the presence of Kedarnath Rawal and chief priest Jagadguru Bhimashankar Ling, following special prayers and rituals.
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According to the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), the portals of Badrinath will open a day after Kedarnath, on April 23 at 6:15 AM during the Brahmamuhurta. Meanwhile, the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines will open on April 19, coinciding with Akshay Tritiya, as per tradition.
The ceremonial process will begin on April 18 with special prayers and the departure of the palanquin of Lord Bhairav Nath. This will be followed by the ceremonial ‘Chala Utsav’ marking the departure of Lord Kedarnath’s palanquin from its winter abode at Omkareshwar Temple, Ukhimath.
The palanquin will halt overnight at Gaurikund on April 20 before reaching the Kedarnath shrine on April 22, when the temple portals will formally open.
It may be noted that the dates for opening the Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines were earlier announced on the occasion of Vasant Panchami.
With the opening of Gangotri and Yamunotri on April 19, the Char Dham Yatra 2026 will formally commence on Akshay Tritiya, while the Kedarnath pilgrimage will begin on April 22.
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