The date of reopening of the Kedarnath shrine will be decided on the occasion on Mahashivratri on March 4. The Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) will organise a ceremony at Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath, the winter seat of lord Kedarnath on March 4. The ceremony to be held from 8:30 AM will be attended by the Rawal (head priest) of Kedarnath, priests, local traditional right holders and others. The traditional Hindu almanac will be consulted and necessary calculations will be made to arrive at the date of reopening of the Kedarnath shrine to the public.
The BKTC media in charge Harish Gaur informed that the date of the ceremonial palanquin with the lords Chal Vigrah idol leaving for Kedarnath will also be decided on the occasion. The BKTC chairman Mohan Prasad Thapliyal, Kedarnath Rawal Bhimashankar Ling, BKTC chief executive officer BD Singh and other office bearers will also be among those who will attend the ceremony on March 4. It is pertinent to mention here that due to considerable snowfall in high altitude regions including Kedarnath and Badrinath this year, it is being stated that some remanents of the snow will remain in Kedarnath and en route to the shrine even after its portals are opened for the public.
It should be mentioned here that the date of reopening of the Badrinath shrine for the public- May 10, was reached upon earlier at a ceremony held on the occasion of Vasant Panchami on February 10. The Char Dham shrines remain closed to the public for the six months of winter when it is believed that the presiding deities are worshipped in the shrines by the gods.