Dehradun:
The doors of Badrinath temple, one of the four shrines of the Char Dham Yatra was thrown open to pilgrims today.
The doors of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines were opened for pilgrims on Tuesday on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya; while Kedarnath temple was opened yesterday.
Informing that all preparations for Badrinath Yatra are over, Uttrakhand Chief minister Harish Rawat CM hoped that that the journey would be safe and secure.
He said that already 750 pilgrims have started on their journey from Pandukeshwar to Badrinath, adding that glaciers have been cut to build safe road to the temple.
Additional Chief Secretary Rakesh Sharma has been given the charge of maintaining the route to Badrinath, Rawat said, adding District Magistrates and secretaries have been asked to take immediate steps in case the route get closed.
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi along with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat and state Congress chief Ambika Soni had trekked to Kedarnath shrine yesterday.
The shrines are closed for six winter months, during which the idols in the shrine are shifted to their winter abodes.
This annual pilgrimage, which is known to be the economic backbone of Garwal region, had seen a dip in the number of pilgrims following the 2013 calamity in this region.
According to the state government, while in 2012 and 2014 the number of tourists visiting the state stood at 2.84 crore and 2.26 crore respectively, the figures stood at 2.09 crore in 2013.
