Dehradun: The gates of the ancient Kedarnath shrine were opened on Friday while devotees thronged to the pilgrimage site amid elaborate rituals early this morning.

"Chief priest of the shrine (Rawal) presided over the opening of the doors of temple and its sanctum sanatorium at 4.50 am in presence of Rudraprayag district officials and temple trust officials," President of Kedarnath-Badrinath Temple Trust, Ganesh Gadiyal said.

However, the daily ritualistic puja at Kedranath temple would start only after the opening of the sacred portals of Bhairavnath temple on April 26, he said.

Famous sufi singer Kailash Kher was also present at the Kedarnath shrine today, Gadiyal added.

The idol had reached Kedarnath from its winter seat of Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath last evening.

The doors of Gangotri and Yamunotri shrine were thrown open to pilgrims on Tuesday, the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya; while Badrinath temple, the other shrine of the annual Char Dham Yatra would open on April 26.

The shrines are closed for six winter months, during which the idols in the shrine are shifted to their winter abodes.

While the yatra to the shrines of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath was closed for winters, yatra to their winter abodes continued under the state government's initiative of carrying out the Chardham yatra throughout the year.