To promote environmental sustainability, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board introduced the eco-friendly practice of distributing plants as souvenirs to devotees on Wednesday, World Environment Day.
More than 19,000 pilgrims paid obeisance and offered prayers at the revered Shri Kedarnath Dham today, bringing the total number of pilgrims who had visited the shrine to over 6,00,000 on Sunday, according to the Uttarakhand government.
"Heartiest congratulations on the commencement of the sacred Char Dham Yatra in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. The pilgrimage to the four holy shrines, including Baba Kedarnath Dham, is a spiritual and cultural journey for devotees, providing renewed energy to their faith and devotion. I extend my b
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami along with his wife Geeta Dhami offered prayers at Kedarnath temple on the day of its opening on Akshaya Tritiya.
Amid the preparations for opening the portals, popular tourist sites such as Sonprayag and Gaurikund are drawing huge crowds, with the majority of them heading in the direction of the Kedarnath Dham.
This year, Char Dham Yatra will begin on May 10, with the opening of three of the four shrines, including Gangotri, Yamunotri and Kedarnath. The doors of Badrinath shrine will open on May 12.
Andhra Pradesh Election Commissioner Mukesh Kumar Meena, along with his family, offered prayers at the famous shrine of Srikalahasteeswara Swamy temple in Srikalahasti on Thursday.
The high-altitude shrines remain shut for around six months every year, opening in summer (April or May) and closing with the onset of winter (October or November).
At least 17 people were killed and more than 30 injured after a truck carrying pilgrims en route to the Shah Noorani shrine fell into a ditch in Balochistan's Hub district.