Spirituality

Kedarnath and Yamunotri shrines close for winter

The Kedarnath and Yamunotri shrines in Uttarakhand closed for winter on November 11 after traditional ceremonies and Vedic chanting, Telangana Today reports. Kedarnath closed at 8:30 a.m. and Yamunotri at 10:28 a.m., bringing their pilgrimage seasons to an end.

More than 19.13 lakh pilgrims visited Kedarnath during the season, while Yamunotri received over 8.84 lakh, according to Telangana Today. After the closures, ceremonial palanquins carrying the deities left for their winter places of worship.

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Kedarnath's deity travels to Ukhimath#

At Kedarnath, the closing ceremonies began at 4 a.m. with special prayers. After the doors shut, the palanquin carrying Lord Kedarnath was taken around the temple complex before setting out for the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath.

The Hindu reports that Kedarnath stands at an altitude of more than 11,700 feet and that its pilgrimage season began in April. Wikipedia describes the shrine as a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva and says extreme weather limits public access to the months from April to November.

The closure coincided with Bhai Dooj, Devdiscourse reports. Rudraprayag Superintendent of Police Niharika Tomar told ANI that police had arranged security for the ceremony and the palanquin's journey, including a guard of honour and mobile guards.

Yamuna's palanquin reaches Kharsali#

The palanquin of Goddess Yamuna left Yamunotri for Kharsali, led by Shani Dev Maharaj amid rituals and folk music, Telangana Today reports. That afternoon, the palanquin reached the goddess's ancestral village, where villagers and pilgrims greeted it with flowers and garlands.

Social News XYZ reports that Yamuna's winter seat is at the Saraswati/Shani Dev Temple in Kharsali. Worshippers can continue to offer prayers there while the high-altitude Yamunotri temple remains closed for the winter.

Badrinath's closure concludes the pilgrimage#

Gangotri has also closed for winter, The Hindu reports. According to Hemant Dwivedi, president of the Badarinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, more than 60 lakh devotees visited the four Char Dham shrines this year, a record for the pilgrimage, he told the media.

Kedarnath's palanquin is scheduled to stop at Rampur and proceed to Guptkashi on November 12 before reaching the Omkareshwar Temple on November 13. Worship continues there for six months. The Char Dham pilgrimage concludes with Badrinath's closure on November 16, Dwivedi told the media.

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