Badrinath temple reopens

The doors of Badrinath temple nestling in the Garhwal Himalayas of Uttarakhand were thrown open for pilgrims on Friday after performing all Vedic rituals.

The idol of Lord Badri (Vishnu) was installed at the sanctum sanctorum of the temple after it was brought in a religious procession amid chanting of slogans such as "Jai Badri Vishal".

The chief priest opened the shrine for pilgrims after worshipping Lord Vishnu. The temple was decked up with flowers.

On the first day, nearly 10,000 pilgrims visited the shrine in the first 7-8 hours to have 'darshan' of Lord Vishnu.

The temple will remain open for pilgrims for nearly six months after which the idol will move back to Narsingh Temple in the nearby Joshimath town, the wintry sojourn of Lord Vishnu.

With the opening of all the four Hindu shrines -- Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, the Chardham yatra is now in full swing with hundreds of pilgrims visiting each shrine every day.

The pilgrims visiting Badrinath temple also saw the nearby tourist places such as Mana which are known for its 'puranic' stories. The famous Neelkanth peak covered fully with snow was providing a beautiful view from the temple area.

Badrinath is one of the Chardhams of the country. It is widely believed that the temple was established as one of the Chardhams by Adi Shankracharya 1,200 years ago.

--IANS

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