The Kedarnath Temple, one of India’s most revered Jyotirlingas, officially closed for the winter season on Sunday, aligning with the festival of Bhaiya Dooj. Over 15,000 devotees attended the closing ceremony, during which the shrine was adorned with elaborate floral decorations. Despite ongoing challenges, such as landslides and heavy rains along the pilgrimage route, a resilient flow of devotees reached Kedarnath Dham, undeterred by the difficult conditions, according to Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) Chairman Ajendra Ajay.
The closure ritual, beginning at 5 a.m., featured a traditional ‘Samadhi Puja’ for the ‘Swayambhu’ Shivling, performed by the temple’s priests and Vedic scholars. Sacred ashes, flowers, and bel leaves were placed on the Shivling, after which the five-faced ceremonial ‘Panchamukhi Utsav Doli’ of Baba Kedar was brought out, marking the formal end of rituals. With the portals shut, the temple will remain closed until spring, marking the conclusion of the annual Kedarnath pilgrimage season.
This year, the Uttarakhand Char Dham Yatra faced significant disruptions due to natural calamities, leading to a decline in the number of pilgrims. Official reports indicate that around 16.52 lakh devotees visited Kedarnath, reflecting a 15.7% drop from the previous year. By mid-November, the Badrinath Temple will also close for the season, completing the yatra. Despite this decline, authorities anticipate a total of approximately 47 lakh pilgrims for the season, reaffirming the enduring spiritual pull of the Char Dham sites, which include Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.
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