By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
The portals of Badrinath shrine, located in the Garhwal Himalayas in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, will be closed for the winter season on Tuesday, marking the end of this year’s six-month long Chardham Yatra.
Nearly 51 lakh pilgrims visited the Chardham yatra this season, officials said.
The doors of the shrine will be closed for the winter season at 2:56 pm on Tuesday amid all vedic rituals. The temple has been decorated for the closure ceremony.
With the closure of the Badrinath temple, this year’s Chardham Yatra will also conclude. The doors of three of the four Chardhams 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 Char Dham shrines located in the high Himalayan region 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, this year, 6.44 lakh pilgrims visited Yamunotri, 7.58 lakh visited Gangotri, 17.68 lakh visited Kedarnath, while 16.47 lakh pilgrims reached Badrinath till Sunday.