Portals of Badrinath to Close on November 25, Kedarnath on October 23 for Winter Season
Chamoli/Dehradun: On the auspicious occasion of Dussehra, the dates for the ceremonial closure of the portals of the revered Char Dhams were announced by the respective temple committees and the Tirth Purohit community.
The portals of Badrinath Dham will close on November 25 at 2:56 pm, marking the beginning of the six-month winter break. The announcement was made at an auspicious muhurta after religious rituals. Following the closure, the sacred Doli (palanquin) of Lord Badri Vishal will be taken to its winter seat at Vasudev Temple in Joshimath, where regular worship will continue throughout the winter.
Similarly, the portals of Kedarnath Dham will close on October 23, coinciding with Bhaiya Dooj, in accordance with astrological calculations and traditions of the Panchang. The Doli of Lord Kedarnath will be taken to Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, the winter abode of Baba Kedar.
As per tradition, the other two shrines of the Char Dham Yatra will also close around the same time. The portals of Gangotri Dham will close on October 22, during the festival of Annakoot, at 11:36 am in the Abhijit Muhurta. Afterward, darshan of Maa Ganga will be available at her winter seat in Mukhba village. The portals of Yamunotri Dham will close on October 23 at 12:30 pm, on the occasion of Bhaiya Dooj, in Dhan Lagna Amrit Vela as per Vishakha Nakshatra and Ayushman Yoga. Worship of Maa Yamuna will continue during winter at her residence in Kharsali village.
On the day of Yamunotri’s closure, the palanquin of Someshwar Maharaj Shanidev, revered as Maa Yamuna’s brother, will ceremoniously escort the goddess to Kharsali. The announcement was made by the Yamunotri Temple Committee in the presence of Purushottam Uniyal (spokesperson) and other community members, including Sunil Uniyal, Vijay Prakash, Pradeep Uniyal, and Raghavanand Uniyal.
This year, the Char Dham Yatra began on April 30 with the opening of Gangotri and Yamunotri, followed by Kedarnath on May 2 and Badrinath on May 4. The pilgrimage season has seen a remarkable turnout of devotees. By 1st October, 7,05,492 pilgrims had visited Gangotri, 6,04,434 devotees had paid obeisance at Yamunotri, 16,02,420 pilgrims had offered prayers at Kedarnath, and 14,15,864 devotees had visited Badrinath.
Apart from the Char Dham, Hemkund Sahib also witnessed a strong influx, with 2,67,664 devotees visiting the shrine. Altogether, by October 1, a total of 46,04,976 pilgrims had undertaken the Char Dham Yatra and visited Hemkund Sahib, making this year one of the most successful pilgrimage seasons in recent years.
