Kedarnath Temple Shuts Doors for Winter: Traditional Closing Ceremony Draws Huge Crowd
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The doors of Kedarnath Temple, one of India’s most revered pilgrimage sites, were closed for the winter season on Sunday, coinciding with the festival of Bhai Dooj. Thousands of devotees gathered to witness the traditional closing ceremony, marked by Vedic rituals, chanting, and ceremonial music by an Indian Army band.
The closing process began early Sunday, with the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) president, Ajendra Ajay, and priests performing the Samadhi Puja for the self-manifested Shivalinga. The ritual involved adorning the Shivalinga with ashes, Bel leaves, and local flowers. At 8:30 am, Baba Kedar’s Panchmukhi Utsav Doli was brought out of the temple, and the temple doors were officially shut.
Following the closing, Baba Kedar’s Panchmukhi Doli began its journey to its winter seat at Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, making overnight stops at Rampur and Guptkashi along the way. Large numbers of devotees joined the procession on foot, with food stalls (bhandaras) set up for them along the route.
The temple committee noted that this year’s Yatra period saw over 16.5 lakh pilgrims, slightly down from last year’s nearly 19 lakh visitors. Officials attributed the dip in numbers to extended monsoon rains and difficult travel conditions, which were worsened by landslides and flash floods in August, resulting in over 10 deaths.
Ajendra Ajay expressed gratitude to the BKTC staff, police, administration, NDRF, SDRF, and ITBP personnel for their efforts in ensuring a successful Yatra season. He also credited Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for guiding the pilgrimage arrangements and highlighted ongoing Kedarpuri reconstruction efforts under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.
As per a BKTC release, the doors of Badrinath Dham will close on November 17, while Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham have already closed for winter. Other nearby temples, including Tungnath, Madmaheshwar, and Rudranath, will also close in the coming weeks, marking the end of the pilgrimage season in the region.
