Kedarnath and Badrinath Temples to Close for Winter: Dates Announced

The Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has announced the closing dates for the Kedarnath and Badrinath Dhams for the upcoming winter season. Kedarnath Dham will be closed on October 23rd. The portals of Badrinath Dham will be shut on November 25th at 2:56 PM. These dates were determined on Vijayadashami. A religious ceremony was conducted at Badrinath Temple to finalize the closure date, involving Dharmadhikari and Vedic pundits who used panchang calculations. The Rawal of Badrinath Dham officially declared the closing date, and the ceremonial turban for the Bhandar Seva in 2026 was also presented. The press release confirmed the date of the traditional Panch Pujas, which occur annually before the closure. The auspicious time (muhurat) for the departure of Shri Uddhav Ji, Shri Kuber Ji to Pandukeshwar, and the Adi Guru Shankaracharya’s Gaddi, along with Lord Vishnu’s vahan, Shri Garud Ji, to their winter seat at Narsingh Temple, Jyotirmath, was also decided. Simultaneously, the closing dates for the second Kedar, Shri Madmaheshwar Ji, at the Omkareshwar Temple Ukhimath (Rudraprayag), and the third Kedar, Shri Tungnath Ji, at Shri Markateshwar Temple, Makkumath (Rudraprayag) will be decided. Badrinath and Kedarnath are significant Char Dham pilgrimage sites, attracting millions of devotees annually. The Kedarnath temple is situated at an elevation of 3584 meters.