The doors of Badrinath Dham opened to pilgrims on Thursday morning, amid the chanting of shlokas (hymns) and melodious tunes of the Army band.

The temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu was decorated with 15 quintals of flowers.

The temple of Badrinath Dham is a temple dedicated to the Hindu deity Vishnu and this place is one of the most sacred places mentioned in this religion, an ancient temple.

There is evidence of its construction in the 7th-9th century. In the name of the temple itself, the city around it is also called Badrinath.

Thousands of devotees gathered at the temple to witness the grand opening and waited to enter the shrine.

The first batch of pilgrims left Haridwar for the Chardham Yatra on Saturday and the Yatra began from Yamunotri Dham on the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the portals of Kedarnath Dham were opened and the first puja was performed in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The puja was done by Rawal Bhimashankar Linga and Pujari Shivling and Dharmacharyas.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday said every possible effort has been made to ensure the Chardham Yatra is easy and safe for devotees. “Every possible effort has been made to make the Chardham Yatra of Uttarakhand easy and safe. Social organisations and voluntary organizations have also provided full cooperation for the yatra. Based on the previous years’ experience, work has been done to advance the travel arrangements”, the CM said.

He added, “Yatra is going on smoothly in Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham. On April 27, the doors of Lord Badri Vishal will also be opened for the darshan of the devotees.”

On the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, flowers were showered on the devotees by helicopter. Chief Minister Dhami offered prayers at Kedarnath and wished for the happiness and prosperity of the country and the state when the doors of Kedarnath Dham were opened.

The chief minister also welcomed the devotees, who had arrived to have darshan of Baba Kedar.

He then participated in a Bhandara (food disbursal programme) organised by the Mukhya Sevak on the temple premises.

According to the Uttarakhand government, till now, more than 17 lakh registrations have been done for Chardham Yatra.

The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand is one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimages in India. This pilgrimage is a tour of four holy sites – Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri – nestled high up in the Himalayas.