Dehradun, April 19 (IANS). The doors of Shri Yamunotri Dham and Shri Gangotri Dham will open on Sunday on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, which marks the beginning of the annual Char Dham Yatra. The temples are beautifully decorated with flowers, and elaborate security arrangements have been made.
After special prayers and rituals, the palanquin (doli) of Goddess Ganga has left from her winter abode at Mukhba village. There was great enthusiasm and reverence among the local people and pilgrims. Meanwhile, the palanquin of Goddess Yamuna has also left from her winter residence in Kharsali village.
Shouts of ‘Jai Maa Gange’ were echoing in the village, along with traditional instruments like Dhol-Damau and Ranasingha were also being played. A large number of devotees, priests, sadhus and officials joined the procession, reflecting the deep sense of faith and unity. On Sunday, the idols will be installed in the Yamunatri and Gangotri temple premises.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a post on social media that today on the holy occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, the doors of Shri Gangotri and Shri Yamunotri Dham are being opened for the devotees with full rituals. Along with this, Char Dham Yatra-2026 is also being inaugurated.
He said that the state government has ensured comprehensive and concrete preparations to make the Char Dham Yatra safe, well-organized and devotee-friendly.
Chief Minister Dhami further said, “I pray to Mother Ganga and Mother Yamuna to fill the lives of all of you with happiness, prosperity and progress.
In another post, the Chief Minister said that hearty welcome and greetings to all the devotees in Uttarakhand, the land of Gods. During the journey, please follow the prescribed rules and actively contribute in making this holy pilgrimage plastic free, keeping in mind the environmental protection. May this holy journey fill all of your lives with happiness, prosperity and spiritual progress.
Meanwhile, Shri Kedarnath Dham will open on April 22, followed by Shri Badrinath Dham on April 23.
Till Saturday evening, 18.9 lakh pilgrims had registered online for the yatra. Kedarnath had the highest number of registrations at 6.5 lakh, followed by Badrinath (5.5 lakh), Gangotri (3.3 lakh) and Yamunatri (3.2 lakh).
On Saturday itself, Chief Minister Dhami flagged off the Yatra from the Char Dham Yatra Transit Camp in Rishikesh, which was the formal launch of one of the most sacred pilgrimages of Sanatan Dharma. The Chief Minister interacted with the devotees, greeted them and wished them a safe and spiritually fulfilling journey.
In view of the cold weather in the hilly areas, additional arrangements have been made at all four pilgrimage sites (Yamunatri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath).
The Char Dham Yatra traditionally starts from Haridwar or Rishikesh and travels through Yamunatri, Gangotri, and Kedarnath and finally to Badrinath, attracting thousands of devotees from India and abroad every year.
–IANS
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