The sacred Yamunotri Temple, one of the prominent Char Dham pilgrimage sites, officially closed for the winter season at 12:05 PM following a special ritual. For the next six months, devotees will be able to worship and seek blessings from Maa Yamuna at her winter abode in Kharsali village. Earlier in the day, Shani Dev Samveshwar Maharaj, believed to be Maa Yamuna’s brother, arrived at Yamunotri to accompany her, and the temple doors were closed amid the presence of hundreds of devotees and local deities.
The palanquin of Maa Yamuna was warmly welcomed by villagers with flowers, incense, and offerings. Among those present were President of Purohit Mahasabha Purushottam Uniyal, Yamunotri MLA Sanjay Dobhal, along with priests Suresh Uniyal, Manmohan Uniyal, Pyare Lal Uniyal, and others, as well as CO Surendra Singh Bhandari, SO Deepak Kathait, SDM Brijesh Tiwari, and hundreds of devotees.
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By Saturday evening, a total of 711,754 pilgrims had visited Yamunotri Temple this year, slightly fewer than last year’s count of 735,245. It remains to be seen how many more devotees arrive for the final temple closure.
Meanwhile, the nearby Gangotri Temple closed its doors for winter on Saturday at 12:14 PM on the occasion of Annakut, in the auspicious Abhijit Muhurat, with hundreds of devotees witnessing the farewell of Maa Ganga’s palanquin.
