Uttarakhand: Portals of Kedarnath, Yamunotri closed

Dehradun: The portals of the Kedarnath and Yamunotri temples were closed on Sunday for the winters amid Vedic rituals on 'Bhai Dooj' in the presence of a large number of pilgrims, and temple committee and administrative officials.

The Kedarnath Temple was closed at 8.30 am and the Yamunotri Temple at 12:05 PM, temple committee officials said.

After the closure of the gates of the two temples, the idols of lord Shiva to whom Kedarnath is dedicated and goddess Yamuna, the presiding deity at Yamunotri, left in ornate palanquins for their winter abodes of Ukhimath and Kharsali.

More than 18,000 pilgrims thronged Kedarnath to witness the closure ceremony of the Himalayan temple.

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

During 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 is closed during winter when it remains covered in snow.

Yamunotri Dham was closed at 12.05 pm in Abhijit Muhurta, a temple committee official said.

Gangotri, another Chardham temple was closed on Saturday.

Badrinath will be closed on November 17.