Kedarnath, Yamunotri Closed for Winter

Nov 10, 2013 — DEHRADUN, UTTARAKHAND (PTI) — Amid chants of Vedic hymns and light snowfall, the portals of Kedarnath and Yamunotri, the two major chardham pilgrimage centres in Garhwal Himalayas, were closed to visitors on Tuesday for Winter, during which they become snowbound and inaccessible.

While the portals of Kedarnath, which bore the brunt of the June calamity in Uttarakhand, were closed after an elaborate six hour ritual at 8 a.m., those of Yamunotri, located at a height of 10,804 feet, were shut at 1:15 p.m. in the presence of the temple committee and senior administrative officials.

Kedar Valley resonated with the chanting of Vedic hymns in the wee hours as the doors of the famed Himalayan shrine were closed ceremoniously.

Chief priest of Kedarnath Temple, Bagesh Ling performed the special prayers in the presence of nearly 150 persons, including devotees and officials who braved icy winds and a light snowfall to witness the closure ceremony, said Kedarnath-Badrinath Temple committee CEO B B Singh.

About one quintal of ashes brought from Nashik by Mahamandaleshwar Swami Samvidanand were applied to the Shiv Linga in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple during the elaborate Samadhi Puja, the ritual which preceded its closure for peak winter months, Singh said.

Later, a replica of the idol of Lord Shiva was carried on a palanquin known as 'Utsav Doli' to nearby Ukhimath town for its winter sojourn.

The portals of Gangotri were closed yesterday while those of Badrinath shrine are scheduled to be closed on November 18th, bringing down the curtains on the annual Chardham pilgrimage. The Chardham route was marred this year by the June 16-17th flashfloods in Uttarakhand, which led to a prolonged suspension of pilgrimage for over three months.

Press Trust of India 

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