The Gangotri shrine was ceremoniously closed to the public for the winter on Monday morning at 11.40 AM. This marks the start of the process of closure of the Char Dham shrines in Uttarakhand. The portals of Kedarnath and Yamunotri shrines are slated to be closed to the public for the winters on Tuesday.
At Gangotri in the Uttarkashi district, the rituals began early in the morning. The crown of goddess Gana was ceremoniously removed at 8:30 am. The devotees got a glimpse of the Bhog Murti of the goddess.
After necessary rituals, the portals of the shrine were closed to the public at 11:40 am. Different deities from villages in the region were also brought in processions by locals to Gangotri for the occasion. The idol of the goddess was carried in a palanquin out of the temple campus. While the priests were chanting hymns, the traditional dhol-damau and an army band also played as devotees carried the goddess in the palanquin towards her winter abode in Mukhba village. The goddess will rest at Chandomati Devi temple about four kilometres from Mukhba on Monday night.
The following day, the procession carrying the idol of the goddess will arrive at her winter abode in Mukhba. Now with the Gangotri shrine being closed to the public, the devotees can still pay obeisance to the goddess at her winter abode in Mukhba during the winter months till the main shrine is reopened next year.
The Gangotri MLA Gopal Rawat, Gangotri temple committee head Suresh Semwal along with other office bearers, Uttarkashi district magistrate Ashish Chauhan and a number of devotees were also among those present on the occasion.
Meanwhile, with the closure of the Gangotri shrine, the process has begun for closure of all the Char Dham shrines in the State. The shrines of Kedarnath and Yamunotri will be closed to the public for the winters today.
While the portals of Kedarnath will be closed ritually at 8:30 am, the portals of the Yamunotri shrine will be closed to the public at 12:30 pm. The Badrinath shrine is slated to be closed for the winter on November 17.
