Badrinath shrine doors open

Devotees waiting to offer prayers after the doors of Badrinath shrine were opened on Monday.

Dehradun - The portals of the Badrinath shrine, dedicated to the worship of Lord Vishnu, opened amid chanting of mantras at 4 a.m. on Monday.

The number of devotees who thronged the snow-covered premises was “beyond expectations,” according to Chamoli District Magistrate S.A. Murugesan.

“Around 7,000 people visited the shrine,” he said. More than 3,000 visitors were pilgrims, and the remaining were locals, he said.

Even after the commencement of the pilgrimage, repair work on the road from Govindghat to Badrinath has not been finished.

The Border Roads Organisation has placed earth movers at critical spots where landslips are a probability.

Steps have been taken to regulate traffic for pilgrim safety.

“We are regulating traffic at Joshimath, Pandukeshwar, Hanuman Chatti, and Badrinath. The vehicles can only proceed in batches of 20 to 25, and no vehicle will be allowed for the Yatra after sunset and during rains,” said Mr. Murugesan.

With the opening of the Badrinath shrine, the Char Dham Yatra, which involves pilgrimage to all the four Dhams — Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath, and Kedarnath — has begun.

While the Badrinath shrine opened for pilgrims on Monday, the Kedarnath shrine had opened for pilgrims on Sunday, and Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines had opened on Friday.

Flanked by the Nar and Narayana mountains and the gushing waters of Alaknanda, Badrinath town reverberated with positive energy after the deathly silence of last year's tragedy.

The yatra was suspended last year in the wake of the catastrophic flashfloods in Uttarakhand in June, killing thousands of people. The Char Dhams are closed every year for nearly six months during the winter when they become snowbound only to be reopened during April-May when lakhs of devotees from all over the country and abroad visit the shrines.

Golu Devata or Lord Golu - Dispenser of Justice

Golu Devata is thought to be as an incarnation of Gaur Bhairav (Shiva), and is worshipped all over the region and regarded as the dispenser of justice by the devotees with extreme faith.
Another legend suggests that he was a General in the army of Chand king, Baz Bahadur's (1638-78), and died displaying explemplary valour at war, the temple was erected in his honour, at Chitai, 8 km from Almora city.
Another story about Gwalla talks of a local king who, while hunting, sent his servants to look for water. The servants disturbed a woman who was praying. The woman, in a fit of anger, taunted the king that he could not separate two fighting bulls and proceeded to do so herself. The king was very impressed by this deed and he married the lady. When this queen got a son, the other queens, who were jealous of her, placed a stone in its place and the child in a cage and put the cage into the river. The child was brought up by a fisherman. When the boy grew up he took a wooden horse to the river and on being questioned by the queens he replied that if women can give birth to stone then wooden horses can drink water. When the king heard about this, he punished the guilty queens and crowned the boy, who went on to be known as Gwalla devata.

There are many temples of Golu Devata in Kumaun, and the most popular are at Chitai, Champawat, Ghorakhal. It is the popular belief that Golu Devata dispense quick justice to the devotee.

Devotees in turn offers bells and Sacrifice of animals after the fulfilment of wish. Thousands of bells of every size can be seen hanging over the temple premisces. Many devotees file a lot of written petitions daily, which are received by the temple.

Uttarakhand’s Golu Devta temple where devotees seek solution of legal problems
Ghorakhal (Uttarakhand), Nov. 23 : It is a common experience that usually decades get wasted fighting court cases in search of justice. But at the Golu Devta temple at Ghorakhal of Kumaon region, people come to seek justice in their cases at the earliest.
Golu Devta is believed to have been an incarnation of Gaur Bhairav (Shiva). He is worshipped all over the region and regarded as the dispenser of justice by devotees.
It is believed that the temple was built in 12th century. It gained popularity over the centuries for proving helpful to anyone visitng this temple.
It fascinates the way devotees make their offerings at this temple, as they use stamp papers to seek desired decree in litigations before the idol of Golu Devta.
"This is Golu Devta''s temple. He is incarnation of Bhatook Bhairav. According to mythology, he would sit here and listen to the problems of people. If a person is innocent then Golu Baba surely blesses him and provides him justice," said Pradeep Joshi, the priest at the Golu Devta Temple in Ghorakhal.
As per Joshi, the temple priest, hundreds of thousands of such stamp papers are offered at the temple.
Besides their legal problems, people at times also request the deity for solving their personal problems.
On fulfillment of the prayers, Golu Devta is thanked by hanging bells or through animal sacrifice. The temple receives many ‘petitions’ on daily basis.
People of this area have incredible belief in the mystic power of Golu Devta.
Devotees say that unlike civil courts, where the litigation lingers on for years, the temple offers them instant solace.
"This temple is very famous. People from different parts of the country visit this temple seeking solution of their problems. And, all devotees of Golu Devta get justice. As one can see, so many bells are hanging over here. These bells are tied here by those who have got justice from Golu Baba," said Nisha, a devotee.
"Golu Devta’s temple is very famous. People write their problems on a stamp paper and soon Golu Baba blesses them and they get justice in their life," said Pankaj Verma, a resident.