Char Dham Yatra begins, 1st batch of devotees depart from Haridwar

The Char Dham Yatra began in Uttarakhand with the opening of the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham in the Uttarkashi district on Wednesday. After six months of winter residence in Mukba village, the palanquin of Goddess Ganga was sent off for Gangotri Dham yesterday. The palanquin stopped for rest at Bhairav Temple in Bhairavghati last night. Tirtha Purohit Rajesh Semwal said that today, the palanquin journey will proceed from Bhairavghati to Gangotri, where the temple gates will be opened at 10:30 AM with traditional prayers and Vedic chants.
On the other hand, the palanquin of Maa Yamuna will depart from her winter abode in Kharsali this morning for Yamunotri Dham, where the temple gates will be opened at 11:55 AM for devotees. The portals of Kedarnath Dham will open on Friday, and the gates of Badrinath Dham will open on Sunday. The first batch of devotees embarked on their journey from Haridwar on Tuesday morning, marking the start of the Char Dham Yatra.