The Kedarnath and Yamunotri shrines were closed to the public for the winter on Tuesday. Amidst Vedic rituals, the portals of the Kedarnath shrine in Rudraprayag district were closed to the public on the occasion of Bhaidooj at 8:30 am on Tuesday. For the next six months now, devotees will be able to pay their obeisance to lord Kedarnath at his winter abode in Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath.
In Uttarkashi district, the portals of the Yamunotri shrine were also closed for the winter amidst Vedic rituals at 1:30 PM.
The ritual process for closure of the Kedarnath shrine had begun on Monday. The Utsav Doli (palanquin) had been kept in the shrine and on Tuesday, the rituals began at 3 AM. More than 1,500 persons were present in Kedarnath on the occasion.
The Panchmukhi (five-faced) idol of lord Shiva was then carried in the palanquin and the portals of the sanctum sanctorum were ceremoniously closed to the public.
The idol of the lord in the palanquin was kept for some time in the temple for the public to pay obeisance and later at 8:30 PM it was carried out of the shrine and the portals of Kedarnath were closed to the public for the winter.
Along with musicians playing traditional instruments and drums, an army band was also playing music as the palanquin carrying the lord’s idol was taken around the shrine before departing from the temple township. The Utsav Doli will rest at Rampur on Tuesday night and will reach Vishwanath temple in Guptkashi on Wednesday night.
Departing from Guptkashi on Thursday, the Utsav Doli will reach the winter abode of the lord – Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath at about 11 am. According to temple committee sources about 9,97,585 persons visited the Kedarnath shrine this year. For the next six months, devotees will be able to pay their obeisance to lord Kedarnath at the Omkareshwar temple.
Meanwhile, the portals of the Yamunotri shrine were also closed ritually to the public for the winter on Tuesday. The palanquin carrying the idol of goddess Yamuna reached the winter abode of the goddess- Kharsali on the same day.
Elsewhere in the district, the palanquin carrying the idol of goddess Ganga also reached her winter abode- Mukhba on Tuesday.
It is pertinent to mention here that with three of the Char Dham shrines in Uttarakhand now closed to the public for the winter, only the Badrinath shrine now remains open. It will be closed to the public for the winter on November 17.
