Chamoli, The portals of the Sri Rudranath temple, part of the Panch Kedar pilgrimage circuit, will open for the summer season on Monday.
Following traditional rituals, the deity's festive procession departed from the Gopinath temple here on Sunday. Hundreds of devotees gathered to catch a glimpse of the deity and bid farewell to the 'Dev Doli'.
Uttarakhand Minister in charge of Chamoli district Bharat Singh Choudhary, senior BJP leaders, and local administration officials attended the ceremony.
The procession will halt at Lweeti Khark on Sunday night and will reach the Rudranath temple on Monday.
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The Rudranath temple is situated at an altitude of approximately 3,600 metres above sea level. It is located around 25 km away from the Gopinath temple in Gopeshwar. Devotees must undertake a challenging 18 km steep trek to reach the shrine.
Special prayers were organised at the Gopinath temple on Sunday morning as part of the opening process. The palanquin departed amid religious chants, flower showers, and tunes played by a Garhwal Rifles army band.
Temple priest Harish Bhatt said the gates will open at midday on Monday, in accordance with Vedic rituals. Devotees can offer prayers to the 'Ekanan' or single-faced form of Lord Rudranath after the opening.
