Doors of Kedarnath Dham Closed for the Winter; Over 1.92 Million Devotees Visited Baba Kedar This Year

November 11, 2026

Rudraprayag: The doors of the renowned pilgrimage site, Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand, were closed for the winter season on Wednesday, November 11, at 8:30 AM, following traditional rituals. During this year’s pilgrimage season, more than 1.92 million (19.20 lakh) devotees visited Baba Kedar. This information was shared by Hemant Dwivedi, President of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC).

A special ceremony was held within the temple premises to mark the closing of the doors, featuring traditional prayers, the chanting of Vedic mantras, and performances by an army band. A large number of devotees gathered at the temple to catch a final glimpse of Lord Shiva before the winter hiatus.

Closing Ceremony Conducted with Traditional Rituals

Hemant Dwivedi described the occasion as an emotional moment. He noted that all traditional religious rituals were carried out successfully.

He stated, “Today marks an emotional moment, which is part of an ancient tradition—a cycle where, for six months, the deity is worshipped in human form (Nar), and for the other six months, in divine form (Narayan). The doors were closed today, November 11, at 8:30 AM. It would be more appropriate to call this a ‘ceremony of auspicious closure’ (Mangalam Samaroh) rather than just the closing of doors. The first phase of all religious rituals has been successfully concluded here today.”

Regarding the number of pilgrims this year, he mentioned that approximately 1.95 million devotees from across the country and abroad visited Baba Kedar to seek his blessings, setting a new record for the pilgrimage.

Dwivedi expressed his gratitude to the Kedar Sabha, the Tirth Purohits (priests), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), police personnel, and the district administration for their cooperation in ensuring the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage.

He added that the second phase of the pilgrimage season will now commence. As part of this process, the *utsav doli* (ceremonial palanquin) of Baba Kedar will be taken to the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, which serves as his winter seat. An appeal was also made to those devotees who could not reach Kedarnath this year to visit the Omkareshwar Temple instead.

The doors of Kedarnath Dham had opened on April 22

Meanwhile, Rudraprayag District Magistrate Vishal Mishra stated that the procedure for closing the temple doors began at 4:00 AM. Administrative officials, representatives of the Badri-Kedar Temple Committee (BKTC), *teerth purohits* (priests), and members of the Kedar Sabha were present during the proceedings.

Mishra said, “The doors of Shri Kedarnath Dham, which were opened for devotees on April 22, have been closed today. This year, more than 1.92 million (19.20 lakh) devotees visited the shrine.”

He explained that following the closure of the doors, the utsav doli of Baba Kedar will depart for the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath. Worship and rituals for Baba Kedar will continue there throughout the winter months.

The doors of Kedarnath Dham are closed every year during the winter season. The temple is expected to reopen for devotees around the time of Akshaya Tritiya next year.