INDIA, May 9, 2011 (Times of India): Portals of the Badrinath temple situated in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli District reopened on Monday after remaining closed for six months. Amid a chanting of vedic hymns and shlokas, the chief priest opened the doors of the temple early this morning.
Shankaracharya, the head priest of the temple, said: “From today, the entry to the temple would be opened for everybody for a period of six months. A special date for the reopening is decided upon on the occasion of Akshay Tritya. It is a tradition, which has been maintained since many years, and we would continue to do so.”
“We have made every possible arrangement for the convenience of the devotees on the occasion of reopening of gates of the temple Lord Badrinath,” said Anusuyya Prasad Bhatt, President, Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee.
With the opening of the portals of Badrinath, all the four shrines collectively known as Chardham have been thrown open for pilgrims. The Chardham Yatra comprising pilgrimage to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri nestling in Garhwal Himalayas started with the opening of portals of both Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines on May 6th.