kedarnath-temple-closes-doors-for-winter-idol-relocated

The portals of the Kedarnath temple were officially closed on Sunday for the winter season, following an elaborate ceremony steeped in Vedic rituals. Over 18,000 pilgrims gathered at the Himalayan shrine to witness this significant event.

The closure ceremony commenced at 4 am, with the temple gates being shut at 8.30 am, as confirmed by Harish Gaur, media in-charge of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC).

Throughout the yatra season, which drew to a close with this ceremony, more than 1.65 million pilgrims visited Kedarnath to offer their prayers, according to BKTC chairman Ajendra Ajay.

Situated at an elevation exceeding 11,000 feet in the Garhwal Himalayas, Kedarnath is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas located across the country.

Each year, the temple attracts thousands of devotees, who visit to seek blessings before it is closed during the winter months, when it becomes enveloped in snow.

As part of the closure proceedings, the idol of Lord Shiva was ceremoniously transported from the temple in a palanquin to the Omkareshwar temple, where it will be worshipped during the winter season, Gaur added.