Uttarakhand: Badrinath Dham shut its doors for winter

Soon after the end of Kedarnath Dham Yatra season, Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand has also closed its doors for the winter. The dham will shut the doors on November 17 at 9:07 PM, as part of ritual. The event also signals the onset of winter hibernation for the temple.

The ritual of closure of dham is steeped in tradition and in preparation, hundreds of kilograms of offerings are prepared to decorate the temple. This is considered a gesture of reverence before the temple’s winter rest. On November 15, the recitation of Vedic chants, including the Veda Richas, stopped after the Veda Upanishads were handed over to the temple's main priest (Rawal) and religious leader (Dharmadhikari).
This marks the end of the yatra season this year. A solemn procession, led by prime religious figures, happened to officially shut the sacred books and hand them over to the Dharmadhikari for safekeeping during the winter months.

In the days leading up to the closure, the temples of Adi Kedareshwar, Adi Guru Shankaracharya, and Shri Ganesh had already closed on November 13 in preparation for the long winter. While the Vedic chants will not continue during this period, daily rituals such as the Abhishek Puja (ceremonial bathing) and ongoing worship will still be observed within the temple.
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On November 16, the Rawal, Dharmadhikari, and priests from Lakshmi Temple prayed to Maa Lakshmi for the temple's continued prosperity and offered Kadhai Prasad as part of the closing ceremonies.

About Badrinath

Badrinath Dham in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal hills is in the Chamoli district. It is among the 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Lord Vishnu along with being a prime pilgrimage site in the Char Dham circuit in Uttarakhand.

The temple has been an important religious destination for centuries which remains open for six months each year. The dham attracts millions of devotees each year. In 2022, more than 28 lakh visitors arrived during the two-month yatra period, making it one of India’s most visited spiritual sites.

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The temple is also mentioned in ancient religious texts, such as the Vishnu Purana and Skanda Purana, and has been praised by Tamil saints in the Naalayira Divya Prabandham.