The sacred portals of the Himalayan shrines of Kedarnath and Yamunotri in Uttarakhand were ceremoniously closed for the winters amid elaborate rituals today.
The sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath was closed at 6 AM and the main gate to the temple was shut at 8:30 AM with Union Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti, Chief Minister Harish Rawat and former chief minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank besides a host of senior administrative and temple committee officials turning up to witness the event, Badrinath-Kedarnath Mandir Samiti CEO V D Singh said.
A palanquin carrying an idol of baba Kedar called "Utsav Doli" left on a journey at the head of a procession consisting devotees and locals for Ukhimath's Omkareshwar temple where the deity will be worshipped during his six-month winter sojourn, he said.
The procession will make its first halt this evening at Rampur and second at Guptkashi tomorrow before it reaches the Omkareshwar temple about 60 kms from Kedarnath on November 3, the temple committee CEO told PTI.
For the first time after the 2013 calamity which caused largescale damage to areas surrounding the centuries-old shrine, over four lakh people visited it this season, he said, adding it was an encouraging sign.
It meant more and more people will visit the famed temple in the years to come.
Yamunotri, another major Himalayan shrine in Uttarkashi district was also closed for winters today.
The temple doors were closed at 1.15 PM, a mandir samiti official said.
With Gangotri dham already closed yesterday, the only Himalayan temple to be closed now on the famous chardham circuit is Badrinath which is scheduled to be closed on November 16.
The four Himalayan temples of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri located in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand are closed for six months every year for the winters when they remain snowbound.
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