By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Mahashivratri was celebrated with great religious fervour on Sunday (Feb 15) all over India with priests using the occasion to announce April 22 as the date for the opening of the portals of famous Kedarnath temple in Uttarakhand.
A decision to open the Kedarnath temple on April 22 at 8 AM was taken by the priests at a meeting in Omkareshwar temple in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand.
Doors of the Badrinath temple would be opened at 6:15 AM on April 23. The doors of the other two shrines among the Char Dhams of the Garhwal Himalayas—Gangotri and Yamunotri temples located in Uttarkashi district—will be opened on April 19 this year on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, while the date for opening the doors of Kedarnath Dham in Rudraprayag district will be announced on the occasion of Maha Shivratri.
Meanwhile, Shivratri is being celebrated in India with all religious fervour. The temples of Lord Shiva were decorated for the occasion all over the country including Uttarakhand. Devotees thronged Shiva temples which recorded a massive influx since early hours. Long queues were witnessed at Tapkeshwar temple in Dehradun throughout the day.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the people on the occasion of Shivratri.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami extended his greetings to the people of Uttarakhand on the auspicious occasion of Mahashivratri. In his message issued on this occasion, the Chief Minister said Mahashivratri is a festival of worship of Shiva and Shakti. The Chief Minister also prayed to Lord Shiva for the prosperity of the state.
