Haridwar: These days the doors of Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath Dham are closed for winter, so the deities of the four Dhams are being worshipped at their Gaddisthal Kharsali (Khushimath), Mukhaba (Mukhimath), Ukhimath, Pandukeshwar and Jyotirmath.
However, emphasis is now being given on the Chardham Yatra to continue in winter as well. This winter Chardham Yatra was started by Jyotirmath Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati last year. After which the government has also formally started the winter Yatra from this year.
On Sunday, Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand embarked upon Winter Chardham Yatra after performing Ganga Aarti at Haridwar. Speaking on this occasion, Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati said that just as many states have different winter and summer capitals, similarly the places of summer and winter worship of the deities in the four Dhams are different.
He said that when the doors of the four Dhams are closed for winter, people had this misconception that the darshan of God is only available for 6 months, whereas it is not so. "The worship of the deities of the four Dhams continues for 12 months. It is a different matter that this worship is done at a different place for summers and winters. That is why they started Winter Chardham Yatra from last year. They are happy that from this year the Uttarakhand government has also taken the initiative of winter Chardham Yatra," he said.
Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand referred to the hunger strike of the saints of Matri Sadan in protest against mining in Haridwar, asking why the mining work which was stopped earlier, was reopened. Shankaracharya also gave his statement on the situation in Bangladesh, saying that an example should be set that if the Hindus are oppressed anywhere in the world, then the Government of India will stand with them.
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