On the auspicious occasion of Bhai Dooj, the revered Kedarnath Dham closed its doors for the winter season in a ceremonial event on Sunday. The closing rituals were conducted following Vedic traditions, filled with the chants of "Om Namah Shivay" and "Jai Baba Kedar," and were accompanied by devotional music from the Indian Army band.
According to a government announcement, over 15,000 devotees attended the grand closing ceremony. Since Diwali, the temple had been beautifully decorated with flowers, and the door-closing rituals began promptly at 5 am. The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) President Ajendra Ajay, along with Acharyas, Vedpathis, and BKTC priests, led the Samadhi Puja for the self-manifested Shivalinga. Following tradition, they prepared the Shivalinga for Samadhi by using ashes, local flowers, and Bel leaves. At approximately 8:30 am, Baba Kedar's Panchmukhi Utsav Doli was taken out of the temple, marking the official closing of its doors.
The Utsav Doli then began its journey to Rampur, the first stop on the way to its winter abode, with thousands of devotees accompanying it. Various Bhandaaras were organized along the route for the enthusiastic devotees, who faced cold winds and snow. BKTC President Ajendra Ajay noted that this year saw a record pilgrimage, with over 16.5 lakh devotees visiting Kedarnath Dham, emphasizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for the grand reconstruction of Kedarpuri. The pilgrimage season concluded successfully under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, who expressed gratitude to the BKTC, police, administration, NDRF, SDRF, ITBP, and other departments for their contributions.
The Utsav Doli is set to reach its final winter destination, the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, on November 5, where Baba Kedar will continue to be worshipped throughout the winter. Additionally, other significant shrines in Uttarakhand will also be closing for the season: Badrinath Dham on November 17, Gangotri Dham on November 2, and Yamunotri Dham on November 3. Other holy sites, including Gurudwara Hemkund Sahib, Madmaheshwar, Tungnath, and Rudranath, have either already closed or will close soon, marking the end of this year's pilgrimage season in the Himalayas.