GOPESHWAR, UTTARANCHAL, INDIA, April 24, 2003: Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines in the Garhwal Himalayas will be reopened on May 5 and 8 respectively for pilgrims after their annual winter closure, district magistrate Chamoli said. The Kedarnath Shrine, dedicated to Lord Siva, is situated at an elevation of 3,584 meters in Rudraprayag district while Badrinath Shrine, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is situated at an elevation of 3,110 meters in Chamoli district in the Indo-Tibetan Himalayan border region. Hundreds of thousands of devotees throng these shrines yearly during the pilgrimage season. According to D.M. Chamoli, all necessary security arrangements had been made to ensure a peaceful pilgrimage along with arrangements for providing necessary sanitation facilities for the pilgrims.
