NRI donates crown and shield to Badrinath temple

An NRI named Ajay Shah on Friday donated two crowns and three gem-laden shields worth Rs 1.25 crores to the Badrinath temple.

Lord Badrinath's crown and the shield have been changed after a span of 60 years. Previously, the ceremony took place when a royal family from Rajasthan donated crown and shield to Badrinath Temple.

The doors of the Lord Badrinath shrine, decorated with flowers, were reopened for pilgrims at 4.15 am on Friday after a grand traditional ceremony in the presence of priests and scores of devotees.

The portals of Badrinath temple in the Garhwal Himalayan range of Uttarakhand's Chamoli district were opened to pilgrims after a six-month-long winter break.

The temple, which is located at a height of over 10,000 feet in the Garhwal hills, is among the four Char Dham shrines which include Gangotri, Yamunotri and Kedarnath in Uttarakhand.