kedarnath: Portals of Kedarnath Dham, Badrinath Dham to be shut for winter from today

The Badrinath Dham portals will be closed from today onwards for the winter season. The Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee President Ajendra Ajay said that the portals of the Badrinath Dham will be closed for the winter from 3.35pm today.

On Sunday, Devdolis will leave for Pandukeshwar, he said.

Earlier in October, the portals of the Kedarnath Dham were closed too for the winter season.

The doors of the eleventh Jyotirlinga Lord Kedarnath were shut for the winter as per rituals with chanting of Vedic hymns accompanied by music played by local musical instruments, the tunes of the army band, and cheers of scores of devotees.
As per traditions, it is believed that after the portals are shut, Lord Kedarnath becomes austere for six months of winter in the Himalayas for the welfare of the people.

Traditionally, the gates of the two shrines remain closed for six months during winter before it opens again.

This year the Chardham Yatra began on Akshaya Tritiya, on May 3 while the doors of Kedarnath Temple opened on May 6.

(With inputs from ANI)