With lord Badri Vishal’s Gaadu-Ghada (Kalash) shobha yatra (procession) starting, the countdown has begun for Char Dham Yatra scheduled from May 13. The yatra arrived in Rishikesh on Monday evening from Narendra Nagar and left for Srinagar on Tuesday.
Dimri Brahmans, who traditionally work as priests in Badrinath shrine, brought the Gaadu-Ghada carrying oil extracted from sesame seeds at Narendra Nagar by the Maharani of the erstwhile Tehri royal family. Dimri Brahmans, members of Shri Badrinath Dimri Kendriya Panchayat, will carry the Gaadu Ghada to the Badrinath temple where it would be established after opening of temple’s portals.
In Rishikesh, a large number of devotees offered prayers to Gaadu Ghada. Yatra will reach Srinagar from where it would proceed towards Karnprayag via Rudraprayag on May 8. After prayers and worship at Uma Devi Temple, it would there for night.
On May 9, after Bal Bhog, the yatra is scheduled to proceed for Dimmar village where special worship followed by Raj Bhog would be organised. There would be stay at Shri lakshmi Narayan Temple by May 12. After prayers on May 13, the yatra will leave Dimmar for Umatta. It will arrive in Pakhi-Garud Ganga via Kaleshwar, Jaikandi, langasu, Nandprayag, Maithana, Chamoli and Peepalkoti. After making a short stay, it would reach Ravigram via Vishram, Tangadi, Helang and Joshimath. After darshan and puja, it would remain there for a night there.
On the morning of May 14, after special puja, darshan and bhog, it would proceed towards Shankaracharya ki Gaddi in Joshimath and will proceed further with Pujyapad Rawal. It is scheduled to reach Pandukeshwar in the noon. On May 15, the prayers, darshans and bhog Prasad, the yatra along with Shankaracharya’s Gaddi (seat), Uddhav Ji’s doli (lord Badrinath’s utsava vigrah) and Kuber Ji’s doli (palanquin) will leave for Badrinath Dham.
After opening of the portals of lord Badri Vishal temple on May 16 morning, Gaadu-Ghada would be established in lord Badri Vishal’s temple. Chief executive officer Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temples Committee BD Singh and Ramesh Kumar Dimri along with a number of member Shri Badrinath Dimri Dharmik Kendriya Panchayat were present on the occasion.