Badrinath Dham to open on May 12

Dehradun: The doors to the Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand will be opened for devotees at 6 am on May 12, the temple committee said on Wednesday.

Keeping with tradition, the date and time for the opening of the temple gates were announced after a religious ceremony at Narendra Nagar Palace on the occasion of Basant Panchami on Wednesday, chairman of Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee Ajendra Ajay said.

The erstwhile Tehri royal family members, including BJP MP from Tehri Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, her husband Manujendra Shah and their daughter Shrija Shah were present at the ceremony, Ajay said.

The Tehri royal family is an integral part of the rituals associated with the opening of the Himalayan temple which is closed every year during winter when it remains snowbound.

The temple is situated at an altitude of more than 10,000 feet. With the announcement of the date for the opening of Badrinath Dham, preparations for this year's yatra will begin soon, Ajay said. Under the able leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Char Dham Yatra has set new records over the last two years in terms of footfalls, he added. The temple committee will make adequate budget provision for passenger facilities in its upcoming budget so that an even bigger number of devotees come this year for the pilgrimage, Ajay said.