Char Dham yatra to end with closure of Badrinath portals on Nov 18

DEHRADUN, Oct 14:
Portals of Badrinath shrine would be closed for winter months on November 18, bringing an end to this year’s resumed ‘Char Dham’ yatra, which had remained suspended for about three months after mid-June flash-floods devastated the famous pilgrimage circuit.
As per customs, the portals of temples of Gangotri would close a day after Diwali, on November 4 and Yamunotri and Kedarnath the next day.
The date of closure for the Badrinath temple was announced by Dharmadhikari Acharya Bhuwan Chandra Uniyal in the presence of Rawal V Koshwan Nambudari on the pious occasion of Dusshera.
The portals of the temple for river Goddess Ganga at Gangotri, would close on November 4 at 1100 hrs, while those of Goddess at Yamuna at Yamunotri, would close the next day at 1130 hrs.
As the Char dham temples in high mountainous terrain become snow-bound, the mobile statues are carried to their winter abodes in lower hills for continuous worship. Lord Badrinath would be worshiped at Pandukeshwar temple, Goddess Ganga in Mukhba, Yamunotri in Kharsali and Kedranath in Ukhimath.
The State Government has plans to promote the ‘char dham’ pilgrimage in the winter months, specially in view of the heavy loss caused to the pilgrimage-dependent livelihood in the area during the peak season in June due to natural disaster. (UNI)