Badrinathji Temple – Opening Ceremony (Darshan of the Akhand Jyoti)

Badrinathji Door (pat) Opening Ceremony on  Monday, 9 May 2011

Kedarnathji Door Opening on Sunday, 8 May 2011

The temple is open for six months of the year – from April-May to October-November (Vijaya Dashami), but its day of opening is determined on the day of the Basant Panchami (in February-March), in accordance with astrological configurations. Pujas are held during the opening and the closing of the temple.

The first ceremony on opening is the darshan of the Akhand Jyoti (eternal flame) in an ancient lamp which has remained lit all through the year, even when the temple closed for the winter. The Puja is performed in the darshan mandap which can only accommodate a few people while the devotees stand in the outer or sabha mandap for the holy glimpse while the puja is being performed after a dip in the holy Taptakund.

Aarti

The daily rituals at the Badrinath temple start very early, around 4.30 am with maha abhishek and abhishek puja, and end at around 8.30 -9 pm with the shayan aarti. The temple opens for darshan for the general public around 7-8 am and there is an afternoon recess between 1-4 pm. The Rawal of the temple performs the rituals. The procedures of daily pujas and rituals are supposed to have been prescribed by Adi Shankracharya. Unlike most Hindu temples, all the pujas (including the decoration of idols) are performed in the presence of the devotees.