The doors of the higher Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath were reopened for ‘darshan' amidst loud chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev' and recitation of Vedic hymns on Tuesday morning. The shrine will remain open for about five months till the winter sets in.
Amongst the first to offer prayers were the Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank' and his wife.
Expressing happiness at the arrival of a large number of pilgrims to witness the opening ceremony, Mr Nishank invited all to come and seek the blessings of the God at Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. The people should also try to visit Tungnath, Rudranath, Madmaheshwar and Kalpeshwar which along with Kedarnath formed the ‘Panch Kedar'. The Government had made special arrangements for the pilgrimage, Mr Nishank said.
The present temple built by Adi Shankaracharya in the eighth century A.D. stands adjacent to the site where the Pandavas are believed to have built a Shiva temple.
