india

Updated: Apr 27, 2019 07:55 IST

Rates of special pujas in Kedarnath shrine are being changed from this year as a result of which devotees may have to spend more money.

A 15-minute special morning puja is held every day for a select few people before the sanctum sanctorum is opened to public.

There are different kinds of pujas held in Kedarnath shrine during the Chardham yatra period. A 15-minute special morning puja is held every day between 4 to 6 am for a select few people before the sanctum sanctorum is opened to the common public.

The booking for this puja is made one day prior by the interested devotees and costs ₹5,000 per family. “A family which has booked the puja is given special entrance and allowed to participate in the morning puja. All the items for the puja are provided by the temple committee and are included in the amount,” executive officer of the temple committee NP Jamloki said.

“Earlier, five members of each family that booked the puja were allowed inside but now only three members will be allowed. In case more members of the same family want to participate, they will be counted as a separate group and will have to pay the rate separately.” Apart from this, special one-hour pujas are conducted during the month of September and October.

“Once the peak season is over and the crowd starts to thin down, these elaborate pujas are carried out. Known as Rudrabhishek and Mahabhishek, they have different rates. While there are fixed base rates for these pujas starting from ₹6500, the temple committee also plans to fix a limit on the number of family members attending the puja. If there are more than the fixed members, then there will be a per person charge of ₹2,500,” he said.

“Self-help groups will be making the prasad. But instead of cardamoms and other items, laddu made of locally-produced chaulai will be the primary prasad distributed from this time,” he said.