KEDARNATH, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA, April 30, 2009: The portals of famous Hindu shrine of Kedarnath in Uttrakhand were reopened today after a gap of six months as thousands of pilgrims witnessed the opening ceremony braving chilly winds.
Kedarnath temple is one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva and is located atop the Garhwal Himalayan range. Due to extreme weather conditions, the temple is open only between the end of April to start of November.
The temple is believed to have been built by Adi Sankaracharya and is one of the twelve Jyothirlingas, the holiest Hindu shrines of Lord Shiva. The temple is also one of the four major sites in India’s Char Dham pilgrimage of Northern Himalayas.
Amid chanting of vedic hymns, chief priest of the Kedarnath temple Raj Shekhar Ling in the presence of religious officials performed a special puja and unlocked the doors of the shrine, dedicated to Lord Shiva, at 0615 hours for a period of six months. Thousands of pilgrims were also present outside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, located in Garhwal Himalayas, chanting “Bam Bhole” and “Jai Bhole”. Former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh Uma Bharti was among the early visitors who paid obeisance at the temple.