Yamunotri, Kedarnath shrines close for winter

DEHRADUN: The portals of both Yamunotri and Kedarnath shrines were shut for winter on Friday. The idol at Kedarnath was taken out in an elaborate procession to Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath in Rudraprayag district; that in the Yamunotri shrine will spend the winter at Kharsali in Uttarkashi district.
Harish Gaur, media spokesperson of Badri-Kedarnath Samiti said the ritual worship began at 3.30am on Friday and the palanquin in which the idol was carried to Omkareshwar Temple left with a large procession of about 1,500 devotees at 8am.The idol will reach Ukimath three days later. On Friday, the procession halted at Rampur. A stopover will occur for the night of Saturday at Guptkashi and the idol will be installed in its winter abode on Sunday.
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Local MLAs were present on the occasion. Some 100 youth, who had been selected for jobs in the Army after free coaching conducted by the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering also accompanied the idol from Kedarnath Valley to Ukhimath, a distance of 24.6km.
The pilgrims had returned in good number this year, after stayed away in the wake of the 2013 floods that left at least 5,000 people dead.
Gaur said over 1.5 lakh pilgrims had visited Kedarnath, and about 3.5 lakh pilgrims had arrived at Badrinath this year. Gangotri and Yamunotri saw about 3 lakh pilgrims.
The portals of Kedarnath had opened on April 24 this year. Every year, the date of opening the shrine after winter is decided on Vasant Panchmi at Tehri.
Although the shrine in Kedarnath will be shut for winter, Nehru Institute of Mountaineering sources said treks and adventure activities will continue through winter, details of these can be accessed on the NIM website.