The sacred portals of Badrinath Dham will open for devotees at 6 a.m. on May 4, marking the formal commencement of the Char Dham Yatra. Preparations for the grand occasion are in their final phase.
As part of the traditions, the Rawal of Badrinath and religious officials will arrive in Rishikesh from Dimmer village on April 21. The ceremonial Gadu Ghada (sacred oil urn) Yatra will commence from the royal court of Narendra Nagar on April 22. MP Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, along with married women, will initiate the oil ritual, and the procession will be formally dispatched by King Manujyendra Shah toward Badrinath Dham.
The yatra will reach Garud Ganga Pakhi on April 30, Jyotirmath’s Narsingh Temple on May 1, and Pandukeshwar’s Yog Badri Temple on May 2. On May 3, the ceremonial procession carrying Adi Guru Shankaracharya’s seat, Uddhav-Kuber idols, and Rawal Amarnath Namboodiri will arrive at Badrinath.
With the temple gates opening on May 4, the Char Dham pilgrimage will officially begin for the season.
