By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
The portals of Badrinath shrine, located in the Garhwal Himalayas in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, were closed on Tuesday at 2.56 P.M. for the winter season marking the end of this year’s six-month long Chardham Yatra.
A large number of pilgrims had gathered outside the temple to watch the ceremony as the doors were closed amid all Vedic rituals. The temple was decorated with flowers for the ceremony. The priests recited Vedic hymns and military bands played devotional music.
With the closure of the Badrinath temple, this year’s Chardham Yatra also came to an end. The doors of three of the four Chardham shrines in the Garhwal Himalayas have already been closed for the winter season. The doors of Kedarnath shrine and Yamunotri shrine were closed on October 23 (Bhiaya Dooj), while the doors of Gangotri were closed on October 22, on the occasion of Annakut, the day after Diwali.
Due to heavy snowfall and severe cold during winter, the doors of the Chardham shrines are closed to pilgrims every year in October-November and reopen in April-May of the following year.
The Char Dham Yatra, which lasts for approximately six months every year, is considered the backbone of the state’s economy.
According to official data of the state tourism department, more than 51 lakh pilgrims visited the Chardham yatra this season with 6.44 lakh pilgrims visiting Yamunotri. Besides 7.58 lakh visited Gangotri, 17.68 lakh Kedarnath and 16.47 lakh Badrinath.