Dehradun, Nov 13 Devotees braved early morning chill to converge at Kedarnath as the portals of the famed Himalayan shrine, located at a height of 11,755 feet, were closed for the winter today amid chanting of Vedic hymns and elaborate rituals lasting an hour.
The doors of the temple were closed for devotees at 8 AM after last prayers of the season were offered and rituals carried out by a group of five priests (panch pujari gan) in the presence of scores of devotees.
An idol of Lord Shiva in a palanquin then left for its journey to Ukhimath’s Omkareshwar Mandir where it will be worshipped during the winter.
A total of 1.52 lakh pilgrims visited the shrine to pay obeisance this season registering a rise of over 50,000 devotees as compared to last year.
