Kedarnath portals open for rituals, not pilgrims

DEHRADUN: The portals of the Kedarnath shrine were opened for this year’s Char Dham Yatra on Wednesday. In the wake of the Covid-19 threat, only 16 people were present at the opening ceremony, reports Kautilya Singh.
With the lockdown in place, the temple has been opened only for religious rituals and pilgrim movement is not allowed as of now. With the chief priest of the shrine Bheema Shankar Ling still under quarantine, his representative Shiv Shankar Ling led the temple opening ceremony.
Like Gangotri and Yamunotri which opened on Sunday, the first prayers at Kedarnath were also conducted in the name of PM Narendra Modi. Tourism minister Satpal Maharaj told TOI, “The first prayers at all the Char Dhams — Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri — will be conducted in PM Modi’s name to give him strength to bring the country out of the current crisis”.