Dehradun: The portals of Kedarnath Dham shrine will open on May 10 at around 7 in the morning, temple officials have said.

The decision on the opening the portals was taken on the occasion of Mahashivratri, said Harsh Gaur, media in charge of the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC).

Ajendra Ajay, BKTC head, said a record number of pilgrims had visited the shrine last year. “This year too, the number of devotees will increase. Under the leadership of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the state government and the temple committee are working with commitment to provide all possible facilities to the pilgrims. Soon a team of the temple committee will reach Kedarnath and take stock of the preparations before the yatra”.

At a height of nearly 3,500 metres above sea level, Kedarnath temple is located near the Mandakini river in Rudraprayag district. The shrine in an area badly affected during the 2013 flash floods when the town of Kedarnath had suffered extensive damage.

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The Char Dham shrines, of which Kedarnath is a part, remain shut for around six months every year, opening in summers (April or May) and closing with the onset of winter (October or November). The portals of Badrinath Dham will be opened at 6 am on May 12 this year.

On Thursday, chief minister Dhami directed officials to constitute a committee to prepare for upcoming Char Dham pilgrimage season.

Char Dham shrines remain shut for around six months every year, opening in summer (April or May) and closing with the onset of winter (October or November). Char Dham yatra broke all-time record last year with the number of pilgrims who undertook the pilgrimage crossing the 5.6 million mark. In 2022, over 4.6 million pilgrims had visited the four revered Himalayan shrines.

Last year 245 pilgrims had died during the Char Dham journey due to health ailments and other issues. Of 245 pilgrims,120 deaths were reported on the Kedarnath Dham Yatra route, 46 deaths on the Badrinath Dham route, 30 deaths on the Gangotri Dham route and 39 on the Yamunotri Dham route. Nine deaths were also reported on the Hemkund Sahib route in the Chamoli district, according to state government data.