DEHRADUN: The sacred portals of Badrinath Dham, a cornerstone of the revered Char Dham Yatra, were formally closed for the winter season on Tuesday at 2:56 PM. The closure marks the end of a highly successful pilgrimage period, which saw a significant rise in devotees compared to the previous year.
The solemn closing ceremony was conducted by the Rawal (chief priest), Amarnath Nambudiri, in the presence of a large gathering of devotees, adhering strictly to ancient traditions.
The season witnessed unprecedented footfall across the Himalayan shrines. According to sources within the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), the total number of pilgrims visiting the four major Char Dham shrines this year surpassed 51 lakh, an increase of nearly three lakh visitors over last year’s figure of 48 lakh.
"This year's turnout is historic, despite inclement weather during the yatra," stated Hemant Diwedi, Chairman of the BKTC. "The devotion shown by pilgrims, particularly at Kedarnath and Badrinath, has set new benchmarks."
At the time of the closure of Badrinath shrine, the Char Dham devotees’ count stood at 5,106,346.
Before the final closure, the temple premises were lavishly decorated with approximately 12 quintals of flowers. In keeping with tradition, the idols of Uddhav and Kuber were ceremoniously brought out from the 'Garbhagriha' (sanctum sanctorum), while the idol of Goddess Lakshmi was installed inside.
A unique tradition was observed as Lord Badrinath was adorned with the 'Ghee Kambal', a special blanket enveloped in clarified butter, prepared by the local Mana Mahila Mandal (Women’s Group). Following final prayers, the portals were shut.
For the next six months, devotees will worship the presiding deity at the winter seat, 'Yogdhyan Badri' in Pandukeshwar.
While the major shrines of Badrinath and Kedarnath saw substantial increases in visitors, travel to Yamunotri and Gangotri in Uttarkashi district was affected by recent natural disasters, resulting in comparatively smaller growth at those sites.
The pilgrimage season officially began on April 30 with the opening of Yamunotri and Gangotri, followed by Kedarnath on May 2 and Badrinath on May 4.