DEHRADUN: The revered portals of the world-famous Kedarnath Dham, the 11th Jyotirlinga, closed on Sunday for the winter season, coinciding with the auspicious festival of Bhaiya Dooj. The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) Chairman, Ajendra Ajay, told this newspaper, “More than 15,000 devotees witnessed the closure of the Shrine’s portals. The temple was beautifully decorated with flowers on this occasion.”Despite challenges posed by natural calamities and heavy rainfall along the pilgrimage route, a significant number of devotees reached Kedarnath Dham. “The devotees faced considerable difficulties due to natural disasters and excessive rainfall, but their spirit remained unbroken,” Chairman Ajay added.The closure ceremony commenced at 5 in the morning, attended by BKTC Chairman Ajendra Ajay. The temple’s priests, Vedic scholars, and pujaris performed the ‘Samadhi Puja’ of the ‘Swayambhu’ Shivling of Lord Kedarnath. According to temple sources, the Shivling was adorned with sacred ashes, local flowers, and bel leaves. Subsequently, the five-faced ceremonial procession (Panchamukhi Utsav Doli) of Baba Kedar was brought out of the temple, marking the culmination of the rituals. The portals were then formally closed for the winter season, signalling the end of the pilgrimage period.
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