Garhwal Post Bureau
Chamoli, 17 Oct: The portals of Rudranath Mahadev Temple, the Fourth Kedar among the Panch Kedars, were ceremoniously closed for the winter season today in an auspicious muhurat following due traditional rituals and chants. The Chief Priest of the temple concluded the final Vedic rites and worship during the Brahma Muhurta early this morning. The temple precincts echoed with the chants of devotees of Lord Shiva, who expressed devotion and hope for the reopening of the shrine in the next pilgrimage season. Some locals also have claimed that film actor Sara Ali Khan was also present at the temple to witness the closure of the temples and to offer her prayers.
Following the closure of the portals, the ceremonial idol (Utsav Vigraha Doli) of Lord Rudranath also set out for its winter sojourn at the Gopinath Temple in Gopeshwar. For the next six months, devotees will have the opportunity to offer prayers and perform darshan of Lord Rudranath, the Fourth Kedar, at the Gopinath Temple.
It may be recalled that the Rudranath Temple is located at an altitude of about 11,808 feet. It however can be reached after a challenging 19-kilometre trek that traverses several picturesque high-altitude meadows (bugyals). After the morning abhishek and rituals performed during Brahma Muhurta, the sacred palanquin of the deity departed for Gopeshwar amidst devotional fervour. Hundreds of devotees present at the temple complex witnessed the divine ceremony with reverence.
At the Rudranath temple, the Ekanan (face) of Lord Shiva is worshipped, while the rest of the Lord’s body is venerated at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Temple priest Sunil Tiwari informed that the worship of Lord Rudranath began at 4 a.m. this morning, and after the completion of all rituals, the portals of the temple were closed for the winter at 6 a.m. The Doli left Rudranath at half-past seven and travelled through Panch Ganga and Pitrudhar, crossing Panar Bugyal before halting at Mauli Bugyal, where the Doli was offered Rajbhog, a feast prepared from the season’s new grains. The journey will continue to Sagar village, where another offering of new grains will be made. The Doli was expected to reach the Gopinath Temple before sunset, where a similar Rajbhog was to be offered. The sacred Doli of Lord Rudranath will remain in the Gopinath Temple complex for the next six months.
Tiwari also shared that after the closure of the temple, the idol of the Lord is covered with 251 bunches of Mandar (Bukhla) flowers, which are distributed as Prasad when the temple reopens next summer.
Nestled in the scenic landscape of Chamoli district in Uttarakhand, Rudranath Temple is one of the revered Panch Kedars dedicated to Lord Shiva. The shrine, surrounded by majestic Himalayan peaks and lush meadows, is considered spiritually significant, as the Ekanan (face) of Lord Shankar is worshipped here, while the complete form of the deity is worshipped at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal.
