With the gates of Badrinath shrine scheduled to be reopened on May 5, Ishwar Prasad Namburi was on Friday formally given charge as the 'Rawal' (head priest) of the famed Himalayan temple.
The post was lying vacant ever since former 'Rawal' of the temple B Keshavan Namburi was suspended after his arrest for allegedly confining a woman in a room and molesting her, Dharmadhikari (religious head) of the temple Bhuvan Uniyal said.
25-year-old Ishwar, who was serving as 'Nayab Rawal' (deputy head priest), has been appointed temporarily as the 'Rawal', he said.
The purification ritual, called Tilpatra ceremony which is a must for anyone to qualify for appointment to the post of 'Rawal', was conducted in the presence of a large number of devotees at Narsingh temple of Joshimath where Badrivishal (Lord Vishnu) is worshipped during his winter sojourn when the portals of the high-altitude shrine are closed due to snow.
During the ceremony, Ishwar took a vow of celibacy. PTI COR ALM.
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