Badrinath portals to open for devotees on May 4

Dehradun: The portals of Badrinath Temple in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district will reopen for devotees at 6am on May 4, 2025, during Brahma Muhurat, the Badri-Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC) said on Sunday. The official declaration was made at the Royal Court in Narendra Nagar (Tehri) on the auspicious occasion of Basant Panchami, following the Ganesh Panchang and Chowki Pujan rituals.Royal priest Acharya Krishna Prasad Uniyal determined the date in accordance with religious traditions. The event was attended by the erstwhile maharaja of Tehri Manvendra Shah, his wife, daughter Shreeja, Tehri Lok Sabha MP Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Badrinath's chief priest Rawal Amarnath Namboodri, and BKTC's chief executive officer Vijay Thapliyal, along with other religious officials.The Char Dham shrines — Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri — traditionally close every year after Diwali and reopen in April-May for devotees embarking on their spiritual pilgrimages.Last year, the Char Dham yatra recorded its highest-ever turnout, with over 50 lakh pilgrims visiting the holy sites. Notably, 41% of these pilgrims completed the Yatra within the first 30 days, with the busiest period occurring between May 17 and 23, when 5,63,292 pilgrims visited the Char Dham temples.However, the 2024 yatra also witnessed challenges, including the passing of 183 pilgrims due to health-related issues during the first 100 days.