Highlights
• Devotees visit the Gangotri temple.
• Temple was opened on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya on May 3.
• This year, a record number of pilgrims are expected to visit Char Dham.
On the day of Akshay Tritiya, the gates of Gangotri and Yamunotri temples in Uttarkashi district were opened to pilgrims, starting off the Char Dham yatra.
Overview
Thousands of devotees, administrative and temple committee officials were present when the Gangotri gates opened at 11.15 a.m. and the Yamunotri gates opened at 12.15 p.m.
Before the priests began the Vedic ceremonies to mark the opening of the temples, the idols of goddesses Ganga and Yamuna were brought in exquisite palanquins decked with flowers from their winter abodes.
A record number of pilgrims are expected to attend Char Dham this year, as the yatra will begin without the COVID-imposed restrictions for the first time since 2019.
However, a daily limit on the number of pilgrims visiting the temples has been enforced so that they do not experience any discomfort as a result of the restricted housing available at the Himalayan shrines.
Kedarnath and Badrinath will open on May 6 and 8
The Char Dham yatra officially begins with the opening of Gangotri and Yamunotri. Kedarnath and Badrinath will open on May 6 and 8, respectively.
The daily limit for Gangotri pilgrims is 7,000, 4,000 for Yamunotri pilgrims, 12,000 for Kedarnath pilgrims, and 15,000 for Badrinath pilgrims.Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and his wife also paid a visit to Gangotri to offer prayers and see the temple gates being ceremoniously opened.
