Kedarnath — TOday, October 18, the portals/doors of Bhakunt Bhairavnath Temple, the guardian deity of Kedarnath Dham, were ceremonially closed for the winter season at 1:15 p.m. following traditional worship and rituals.
Before the closure, prayers and offerings were performed at Shri Kedarnath Temple. The Chief Executive Officer of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), members of the Kedar Sabha, and representatives of the Panch Panda Committee from Rudraprayag proceeded to Bhairavnath Temple to formally conclude the ritual.
The closing ceremony was led by temple priest Bagesh Ling, Dharmadhikari Omkar Shukla, and Vedic scholar Yashodhar Maithani, along with other priests who performed the puja, havan, and traditional offerings, including local delicacies and roṭ.
Present during the ceremony were BKTC Chief Executive Officer and Executive Magistrate Vijay Prasad Thapliyal, BKTC member Vineet Posti, Kedar Sabha President Rajkumar Tiwari, former president Vinod Shukla, minister Rajendra Tiwari, Santosh Trivedi, Bhairavnath Pashwa Arvind Shukla, Anil Shukla, Ankit Semwal, Umesh Posti, and BKTC Officer-in-Charge Kedarnath Yaduveer Pushpwan.
With the closure of Bhakunt Bhairavnath Temple, preparations have begun for the ceremonial shutdown of Shri Kedarnath Dham’s portals and the Panchmukhi Doli rituals. The main shrine’s doors will be closed for winter on October 23.
