Uttarakhand: The portals of Kedarnath Dham will close for the winter season on October 23, while Badrinath Dham will follow on November 25 at 2:56 PM, the Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) announced.
The dates were finalised on the occasion of Vijayadashami during a religious ceremony held at the Badrinath temple premises. Dharmadhikari and Vedic scholars determined the timings based on Panchang calculations, in the presence of BKTC officials. The Rawal of Badrinath Dham then formally declared the closure schedule.
On this occasion, the ceremonial turban (Pagdi) for Bhandar Seva of the 2026 pilgrimage season was also presented. Along with this, the timetable for the traditional Panch Pujas, which precede the closure rituals, will be finalised.
The auspicious muhurat for the departure of Shri Uddhav Ji and Shri Kuber Ji to Pandukeshwar, and the shifting of Adi Guru Shankaracharya’s Gaddi along with Shri Garud Ji to their winter seat at the Narsingh Temple in Jyotirmath, will also be decided.
Simultaneously, at the Panch Kedar winter seat in Omkareshwar Temple, Ukhimath (Rudraprayag), the closure date of Shri Madmaheshwar Ji’s portals will be set. At Shri Markateshwar Temple in Makkumath, Rudraprayag, the date for shutting the portals of Shri Tungnath Ji will also be announced.
Badrinath, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, and Kedarnath, dedicated to Lord Shiva, are among the revered Char Dham pilgrimage sites that attract lakhs of devotees each year. Situated at 3,584 meters above sea level on the banks of the Mandakini River, Kedarnath remains one of the holiest shrines in Northern India.
