The Char Dham Yatra began on Friday with the opening of the gates of Yamunotri, Gangotri and Kedarnath Dham amid Vedic chants on the occasion of Akshay Tritiya in the Garhwal Himalayas region. The flower-decorated shrines witnessed a sea of pilgrims on the first day.
The Gangotri Dham gate was opened for the first time at 12:15 pm while the Yamunotri Dham gate was opened at 12:35 pm amidst chants of Jai Ma Ganga and Jai Ma Yamuna in the presence of a large number of devotees.
“All the rituals were conducted strictly as per traditional Vedic rituals to ensure the sanctity of opening the gate at 12:15 pm,” said Suresh Semwal, secretary of the temple committee.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was present at the opening ceremony along with thousands of pilgrims who gathered in the temple courtyard at Gangotri Dham.
“Safety and well-organized conduct of Char Dham Yatra is a collective priority, as it is our common goal to keep the yatra safe and secure for pilgrims, for which all stakeholders and those associated with Char Dham Yatra have worked with full dedication and meticulous planning,” CM Dhami said.
He warmly welcomed pilgrims from all over India and abroad and offered his prayers for a successful journey for all, seeking divine blessings for the prosperity and well-being of the visitors.
With the opening of the first two shrines, the administration has taken strong measures for health services, crowd management and infrastructure.
CM Dhami reiterated the government’s commitment to make the yatra a “divine and safe” experience and urged pilgrims to follow all safety guidelines as they embark on their spiritual quest.
“With the opening of the gate, the Char Dham Yatra has officially begun and devotees can now offer prayers at the Yamunotri temple for the next six months,” said Purshottam Onyal, spokesperson of the Yamuna Temple Committee.
