By Our Staff Reporter
Rudraprayag, 15 Nov: The portals of the Kedarnath and Yamunotri shrines closed today on the holy festival of Bhaiyya Dooj. While the portals of the Kedarnath Dham were closed at 8:30 a.m. for the winter season, the portals of Yamunotri Dham closed at 11:57 a.m. after due rituals and amid Vedic chants.
At the time of the closure of the portals of the Kedarnath shrine, the temple echoed with the chanting of Baba Kedar’s name, as a large number of devotees were present on the last day of the season for darshan and worship. It may be recalled that, yesterday, the Panchmukhi idol of Baba Kedar in Kedarnath was shifted from the storehouse to the assembly hall of the temple with rituals and worship.
Worship this morning started in the sanctum sanctorum of Kedarnath Temple at 4 a.m. today. Rituals and the worship for the closure of the portals were led by the Chief Priest. Baba Kedar’s Swayambhu Linga was given the form of Samadhi and covered with flowers, worship materials and ashes. At 7 a.m. the Idol of Baba Kedar was brought from the storehouse to the assembly hall of the temple. Panchmukhi Bhogamurti was installed in the movable Utsav Vigraha Doli. After this, the portals were closed at 8:30 a.m. on the auspicious day of Bhaiyya Dooj.
Departing from Doli Dham for the winter seat, Omkareshwar Temple, Ukhimath, Baba’s Chal Utsav Vigraha will reach Rampur, the first stop for the nightstay today. The Doli will reach its final destination, the winter abode of the Baba Kedar on 17 November at Omkareshwar Temple where it will be seated for six months for winter worship.
Meanwhile, the portals of the Yamunotri Dham were closed at 11:57 a.m. for the winter season with the chanting of Vedic mantras. After which, Mother Yamuna will be seen during her winter stay in Khushimath (Kharsali) for six months. Chairman of the Shri Panch Panda Committee, Yamunotri Dham, Purushottam Uniyal stated that, on the holy festival of Bhaiyya Dooj, Shanidev reached Yamunotri Dham from Kharsali, the winter stay of Mother Yamuna, this morning, where after the formal worship and Havan Yagna, the portals of Yamunotri Dham were closed for the winter season with Vedic chanting in Abhijeet Muhurta at 11:57 a.m. During this period, hundreds of devotees were present at the Dham. After closing the portals, the Doli of Mother Yamuna left from Yamunotri Dham for its winter stay in Khushimath under the leadership of Shani Dev’s Doli.
After the closure of the portals of Yamunotri Dham, the worship of Mother Yamuna will be done for six months at her winter abode in Khushimath. Devotees coming from India and abroad will be able to have darshan of Mother Yamuna for six months in the winter season. Next year, on the festival of Akshaya Tritiya, the doors of Yamunotri Dham will be opened for the devotees for the summer season. In this Yatra year, seven and a half lakh devotees reached Yamunotri Dham for darshan.
