Portals of Kedarnath Dham closed for winter

The portals of Kedarnath Dham, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, were closed for winter on Thursday amid Vedic rituals, chants of “Jai Baba Kedar,” and the tunes of an Army band. Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami attended the ceremony on the occasion of Bhai Dooj (Kartik Shukla Saptami, Anuradha Nakshatra).

Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami attended the ceremony. (Sourced)

The temple was adorned with flowers before the closing rituals began. Nearly 10,000 devotees gathered for the farewell to the deity for the season despite freezing temperatures. Priests performed yagya, offered prayers, after which the Shivling of Lord Kedarnath was covered with flowers. The eastern and southern gates of the shrine were sealed in Dhami’s presence after the closure of the sanctum sanctorum.

The Panchmukhi Utsav Doli (ceremonial palanquin) of Lord Kedarnath was then taken around the temple before departing for its first halt at Rampur.