Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami offers prayers at Kedarnath Temple ahead of winter closure

Rudraprayag (Uttarakhand) [India], October 23 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami offered prayers and performed worship rituals on Thrusday at the famed Shri Kedarnath Dham before the temple gates were shut for this year's winter season.
The closing of the portals of the shrine also marks the end of the pilgrimage season.
The portals of Kedarnath Dham were closed on Thursday, at 8:30 am on the auspicious occasion of Bhai Dooj. The closing ceremony was conducted with full Vedic rituals and religious traditions, accompanied by chants of 'Om Namah Shivay' and 'Jai Baba Kedar,' as well as devotional tunes played by the Indian Army band.
Uttarakhand Governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd.) also visited the Kedarnath Dham on Tuesday and offered a special Rudrabhishek. He inspected the ongoing construction and development works at the shrine.
"Today, I had the divine fortune of having darshan of Baba Kedar and a special Rudrabhishek at Shri Kedarnath Dham. Upon arriving at this sacred abode, the mind fills with faith, devotion, and spiritual peace. I prayed to Baba Kedar for world peace, human welfare, and the sustainable development of Uttarakhand. During this time, I inspected the ongoing reconstruction and development works in the Dham and obtained detailed information from the officials about the construction activities," the Governor wrote on X.
According to the District Magistrate of Rudraprayag, Prateek Jain, this year's Kedarnath Yatra has been highly successful.
Kedarnath Dham, one of the most revered pilgrimage sites for Hindus, hosted an evening aarti on Wednesday, attended by several devotees who gathered to participate in the spiritual ceremony.
Winter comes with harsh conditions of chilly days and snow-covered paths, which makes the temples inaccessible. Thus, all four temples of Char Dham are closed for six months of winter. The closing ceremony of Char Dham is as significantly celebrated as the opening ceremony of these temples.
The day in each of the four temples starts with the last rituals and worship. The deities are offered flowers and various offerings from pilgrims. Then the idol of the deity is moved with a magnificent procession in a Doli (palanquin), taking the deity to their winter seat. In the winters the deities are worshipped in their winter seat which is in a temple on the lower altitude. When the doors of Char Dham are reopened after six months, the idols again are moved to their place in Char Dham where devotees can worship them. (ANI)