Badrinath Dham opens for public

Dehradun, May 1 (UNI) All the four prominent shrines in the state -- Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath -- are now open for the public after the last opened its doors today.

The 'Kapat' of Badrinath Shrine was opened at 0400 hrs amid Vedic rituals and chanting of hymns and blowing of conch-shells by the shrine's priest, accompanied by an Army band. Officials, public representatives and thousands of devotees then streamed in to participate in the ceremony and worship statue of Lord Vishnu in a meditative pose.

Built by famous 8th-century philosopher saint Adi Guru Shankaracharya, the shrine is also one of the Panch Badris and known as 'Vishal Badri'. This 15-metre-high temple lies on the right bank of river Alaknanda at an altitude of 3,133 metres, cradled in the twin mountain ranges of Nar and Narayan, with the splendid Neelkanth mountains as backdrop, in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

Like other three dhams, Badrinath is also closed for six months in the month of October-November with the advent of winter and reopened in April-May.

UNI