Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], October 19 : A grand Deepotsav will be organised at Badrinath and Kedarnath dham on the occasion of Diwali, said Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) President Hemant Dwivedi. The temples are being splendidly decorated with flowers.
Dwivedi told ANI that for the first time, Badrinath Dham will be illuminated with 12,000 lamps, and 56 types of offerings (bhog) will be dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi.
BKTC, with the support of the temple priests and Haq-Hakookdharis, will conduct the Deepotsav from October 20 to October 23. At Badrinath Dham, members of the Dimri Religious Central Panchayat, along with Mehta, Bhandari, and Kamdi Haq-Hakookdharis, will light lamps. Similarly, at Kedarnath Dham, the Deepotsav will be organised in coordination with the temple priests.
The spokesperson informed that the temple premises and pathways will be adorned with lamps. With the support of devotees and donors, BKTC is decorating Kedarnath Temple with 12 quintals of flowers for both Diwali and the ceremonial closing of the temple doors. The doors of Kedarnath Dham will close on October 23, and Badrinath Dham is also being decorated with 12 quintals of flowers for Diwali.
It is notable that the festival of Diwali will be celebrated at both Badrinath and Kedarnath on Monday, October 20.
On this occasion, special programs of worship and lamp lighting will be held in both dhams. Special security arrangements have also been made for the Diwali celebrations in the temple premises.
Diwali, also known as Deepawali, is one of the most important and widely celebrated festivals in India and among Indian communities worldwide. Known as the "festival of lights," it symbolises the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance.
Diwali also marks the return of Lord Rama to Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana, as narrated in the Ramayana. During the festival, homes are cleaned and illuminated with oil lamps and lights.
Devotees worship Goddess Lakshmi, the deity of wealth and prosperity. Families exchange sweets and gifts, wear new clothes, and burst firecrackers as part of the celebrations.