Dehradun, April 29: The sacred portals of the holy shrine in Kedarnath located in hill state Uttarakhand were opened on Wednesday. The portals of the holy pilgrimage were opened at 6:10 am today. According to a tweet by ANI, the 'Darshan' for the devotees is not allowed at the temple as of now until further orders in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Earlier this month, a temple committee had officially confirmed that the temple will be reopened as per the original schedule on April 29, 2020. However, due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country, Mangesh Ghildiyal, District Magistrate, Rudraprayag had said that only 16 people, including the Chief Priest of Kedarnath temple will be present when the portals of the temple open on April 29.  Ghildiyal had also asserted that 'darshan' for the devotees will not be allowed at the temple as of now in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis.

Kedarnath Temple Portals Open, See Pics:

The dates of the pilgrimage are usually decided on Mahashivratri. According to the tradition, the dates are decided as per the Hindu Panchang in the presence of priests of Omkareshwar Temple, the Rawal of Bhimashankar Shivling and others.

Thousands of devotees throng to the holy shrine every year battling the cold. The famous Hindu shrines of Kedarnath and Badrinath are considered as an holy place of worship. The Badrinath temple is situated between the two mountains named Nar and Narayan on the left bank of the Alaknanda river, is also famous for its picturesque location. Meanwhile, Kedarnath is among the 12 Jyotirlingas, one of the Char Dham and Panch Kedar.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 29, 2020 08:21 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).