Mussoorie/Haridwar, May 1 -- The Char Dham Yatra commenced on Wednesday with the ceremonial opening of Yamunotri and Gangotri Dham shrines in Uttarkashi district on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. More than 5,000 devotees attended the opening ceremonies. Both shrines were beautifully adorned with flowers, signifying the formal beginning of the annual pilgrimage season. The occasion was marked by the rhythmic beating of traditional drums, Vedic chants and flower petals being showered on the pilgrims by a helicopter during the opening of the portals at Gangotri. Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami offered prayers to Ganga river. He also performed the first puja in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and prayed for the well-being of the nation and the state. Dhami was also present during the opening of the portals of Yamunotri Dham, where he offered prayers. "I congratulate everyone on this auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. With the opening of the portals of Yamunotri and Gangotri, the Char Dham Yatra has formally begun," Dhami said. "The ceremonial idol procession of Mother Ganga, after an overnight stay at Bhairav Temple in Bhaironghati, reached Gangotri shrine on Wednesday amid the beats of traditional drums and melodies from the 14 Rajputana Rifles pipe band. The portals were opened for devotees at 10.30 am under the Rohini Nakshatra on Akshaya Tritiya," Suresh Semwal, secretary of the Gangotri Temple Committee, said. According to the state tourism department, over 5,000 pilgrims visited Yamunotri and Gangotri Dhams on the opening day. Purshotam Uniyal, spokesperson for the Yamunotri Temple Committee, said: "The portals of Yamunotri shrine were opened at 11.55 am on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, at 8 am, the ceremonial idol procession of Goddess Yamuna, led by her elder brother Shani Dev, departed from her winter abode at Khushimath (Kharsali) for the Yamunotri Dham, located at an altitude of 10,804 feet." One of the devotees from Kolkata, West Bengal, Sushmita Dey said: "Witnessing the opening of the Gangotri shrine was deeply emotional. It was my first experience, and my family and I felt truly blessed." At Yamunotri, Raj Kumar Sahu from Jaipur in Rajasthan, said: "I walked along with the ceremonial idol of Goddess Yamuna from Jan Ki Chatti. Offering prayers after the portal opening was an unforgettable moment." Meanwhile, a group of 500 devotees were flagged rom Shri Panchayati Tapovan Niranjani Akhada in Haridwar on Wednesday. "There is tremendous enthusiasm among pilgrims, and we expect a major turnout at the Char Dham shrines this year as well. Today, 500 pilgrims were flagged off from Shri Panchayati Tapovan Niranjani Akhada in Haridwar," said former cabinet minister Swami Yatishwaranand, who served as the chief guest at the event. "Under the leadership of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the state government is prioritising the Char Dham Yatra, with focus on registration, safety, security, convenience, basic amenities, and building public trust. As a result, Uttarakhand is emerging as a premier destination for religious and spiritual tourism in the country," he further said....