Mussoorie, April 21 -- The countdown for the Kedarnath Temple opening for the Char Dham Yatra has entered its final phase, with the shrine set to welcome pilgrims from April 22 at 8 am. The Panchmukhi Utsav Vigrah Doli (five-faced ceremonial palanquin) of Lord Kedarnath, which had been at its winter abode at the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, reached Gaurikund on Monday after an overnight halt at Phata in Rudraprayag district. The palanquin will complete the final leg of the trek to Kedarnath on Tuesday. The sacred procession began from Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath on Sunday amid Vedic chants and traditional rituals. Devotees gathered in large numbers along the route. Raj Kumar Tiwari, president of the temple priest community's Shri Kedar Sabha Samiti, said special worship of Bhairav Nath, the guardian deity of Kedarnath, was performed on Saturday night to ensure a smooth journey. "Pilgrims in large numbers joined the Doli procession on foot and accompanied it along the trekking route," he said. The procession halted briefly at the Vishwanath Temple, Guptkashi before staying overnight at Phata and later reaching Gaurikund, where it will halt at the Gauri Mai Temple. HTC...