Kedarnath temple gates closed for winter amid 18,000 pilgrims attending

Dehradun: The portals of Kedarnath were closed on Sunday for the winters amid Vedic rituals, with over 18,000 pilgrims thronging the Himalayan temple to witness the closure ceremony.

An elaborate ceremony preceding the closure of the temple gates began at 4 am and the portals were closed at 8.30 am, Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) media in-charge Harish Gaur said.

More than 18,000 pilgrims thronged the Himalayan temple to witness the closure ceremony, he said.

During the whole of the yatra season more than 16.5 lakh pilgrims visited Kedarnath to offer prayers, BKTC chairman Ajendra Ajay said.

Located at a height of more than 11,000 ft in the Garhwal Himalayas, Kedarnath is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas situated in different parts of the country.

A popular pilgrimage destination visited by lakhs of pilgrims each year the temple doors are closed during winter when it remains covered in snow.

The idol of lord shiva was brought out of the temple in a palanquin before the closure of its gates to the Omkareshwar temple where he will be worshipped during winters, Gaur said.