- Yamunotri Temple – The Kapat of Shri Yamunotri Temple will open on 28 April 2017.
- Gangotri Temple – The Kapat of Shri Gangotri Temple will open on 28 April 2017.
- Kedarnath Temple – The Kapat of Shri Kedarnath Temple will open on 03 May 2017.
- Badrinath Temple – The Opening ceremony of Shri Badrinath Temple will on 06 May 2017.
Opening Closing Dates of Char Dham Yatra
If you are a pious Hindu, you would definitely long to
visit Chardhams at least once in your lifetime. This informative article on Chardham yatra opening dates would let you know when to get ready for this holy Yatra. So read on..
The Chardham Yatra starts in the month of April-May and ends around Oct-Nov each year. The four holy spots of Chardham: Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri – are located in the remote hilly corners of Uttaranchal. During the winter months the shrines get inaccessible due to heavy snowfall. So, the Chardhams is actually open for tourists for six months only.
The opening and closing of the holy shrines follow the age-old traditional almanac. Highly auspicious dates are considered for the opening and closing of the holy portals of the shrines. Yamunotri and Gangotri Dham portals are thrown open on Akshay Tritiya, considered auspicious by Hindus. It is believed that any good or holy deed done on this day remains ‘Akshay’(non-perishable). So, there is general tendency amongst the devout Hindus to do charity, buy gold, visit temples and shrines and the likes. Nothing can be more propitious than to visit the most revered shrines on this day. The Kedarnath shrine opens for the pilgrims on the auspicious occasion of Maha Shiv Chaturdashi or Shiv-Ratri. Since Kedarnath ji is considered an incarnation of Shiv, or Lord Shiv himself, so Shivratri is considered the best day to visit him. Badrinath, on the other hand, opens on Basant Panchami, another auspicious day.
The closure of the portals is on different dates. Yamunotri temple closes on Yama Dwitiya or Bhai Dooj as we know. It is on the second day after Diwali. Kedarnath shrine too closes on this day. Gangotri temple shuts its door on Diwali whereas Badrinath shrine shuts down on Vijaya Dashami. All the dates of closure and opening of the shrines are fixed by the respective governing Mandir committees administered by the Purohits or priests. It is believed that after the Mandir closure, the gods and goddesses, come down to do the regular Puja of the deities.
The Chardham Yatra is recommended to be done in clockwise direction, i.e, from East to West. Therefore, the Yatra should start from Yamunotri proceeding towards Gangotri, then Kedarnath and ultimately terminate at Badrinath. Each of the four shrines has its own unique history, legend, folk-lore and spiritual significance. The devout Hindus believe that every Hindu should visit Chardham at least once in their lifetime. Not only it washes away all the sins, the arduous journey reveals greater knowledge of one’s own self and the universe. In ancient times, the journey was so strenuous and full of perils that it was marked for Vanprastha ashram, the penultimate stage of one’s life. The journey was considered so holy that the pilgrimage was equalled to the quest for ‘Nirvana’ meaning the final liberation.
The best time to visit Chardham is from April to June as the weather remains sunny and comfortable. The snow melts away in small rivulets unveiling the lush green underneath. The mountains muffled in white clouds, whispering cedars, blooming flowers, crystal blue sky, dancing rivers together make a picture perfect mountain scape.
The journey continues- the journey from ignorance to Enlightenment, from Death to Immortality.
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