Kedarnath Temple closed at 8.30 AM today to be opened in May. Shifted to Omkeshwar temple, Ukhimath !
The most pious and popular Hindu shrine , nearly 1000 years old ancient Kedarnath temple has been closed today at 8.30 A.M. after the Samadhi puja due to acute winters. The pious idol of Lord Baba Kedar has been ferried to Omkeshwar Temple, Ukhimath today. During entire winter season the prayers to Baba Kedarnath will now be offered at Omkeshwar Temple. Since Kedarnath Temple and its vicinity gets completely covered with several feet snow during winters it is not feasible for Pujaries, local shopkeepers and pilgrims to arrive and stay here due to extremely inclement weather going to several minus degrees. However, there are news that some saints don’t shift from here living and performing yoga exercises while paying obeisance to Lord Kedar during winters, beyond anyone’s belief. Some videos have gone viral in social media in this regard exhibiting some Sadhus praying on several feet snow, unnerved by the inclement weather at the height of 11,755 feet. The doors of Badrinath close on 19 th November to be opened on April May. These two historic shrines are closed for six months every year. The doors of Kedarnath Shrine will now be opened in the month of May.
Meanwhile, according to the latest news the Kedarnath shrine’s Garbh Grah have been renovated with Gold plating looking extremely magnificent. This work was done under the strict supervision and monitoring of the Archeological Survey of India after a businessman of Maharashtra donated money for this exemplary work of gold plating of Kedarnath Temple’s Garbh Grah. The Badrinath Kedarnath Temple committee carried out this renovation. The gold plates were brought from Maharashtra and were fixed after removing the old silver plates on the inner walls of Garb Grah, now stored in the store room of the Kedarnath Temple under the strict supervision of the Temple Committee. Kindly recall that the chief priests of Badrinath n Kedarnath Temples were ( are) from Kerala and Karnataka/ Maharashtra. The Badrinath Temple doors are opened after seeing the horoscope of the ancient kings of Tehri dynasty.
Just imagine, when there were no roads, air and communication including road transport how would the pilgrims be coming here from various states. As the story goes in ancient times the old people used to come here i. e. Chardham thinking that they will achieve salvation here and used to settle here as resources for going back home weren’t available. This is how people from other states settled here n formed their own civilisation like Badopadhyays from Bengal becoming Bahugunas and Ojha’s from Bihar after settling in Uni village became Uniyals etc.
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