Kedarnath Shrine Opens From April 22
Badrinath to open April 23 as Gangotri and Yamunotri begin yatra on Akshaya Tritiya
Dehradun: The Kedarnath shrine will open for pilgrims on April 22, marking the beginning of the 2026 Char Dham Yatra to the temple.
The date for opening the Kedarnath portals was announced on Sunday on the occasion of Maha Shivratri at the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, in the presence of Kedarnath Rawal and chief priest Jagadguru Bhimashankar Ling, following traditional rituals.
According to the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), the portals of the Badrinath shrine will open on April 23 at 6.15 am during Brahmamuhurta.
The Char Dham Yatra will commence on Akshaya Tritiya, likely to fall on April 19, when the portals of Gangotri and Yamunotri temples will open. The dates for these two shrines were announced earlier on Vasant Panchami.
As part of the ceremonial schedule, the palanquin of Lord Bhairav Nath will begin its journey on April 18 after a traditional puja. The Chala Utsav, marking the departure of Lord Kedarnath’s palanquin from its winter abode at Omkareshwar Temple, Ukhimath, will follow. The palanquin will halt at Gaurikund on April 20 and reach the Kedarnath shrine on April 22 ahead of the formal opening of the portals the same day.
The pilgrimage to Kedarnath will thus begin on April 22, while the broader Char Dham Yatra will formally commence on Akshaya Tritiya.