By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
A day after closure of Gangotri shrine, the portals of the Kedarnath and Yamunotri shrines in the Garhawal Himalayas in Uttarakhand were closed on Thursday for the winters period amid all Vedic rituals on the occasion of ‘Bhai Dooj’.
The Kedarnath Temple was closed at 8.30 am and few hours later, the Yamunotri Temple was also shut at around 12.30 pm, officials said.
As the closing ceremony began, the priests at both the two temples recited Vedic hymns and performed other Hindu rituals amid chanting of religious slogans.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami also visited the Kedarnath temple during the closure ceremony.
After the closure of the gates of the Kedarnath and Yamunotri, the idol of lord Shiva to whom Kedarnath is dedicated, left in ornate palanquin for the winter abode of Ukhimath in Rudraprayag district. Similarly, the idol of Yamunotri was taken to Kharsali, the winter sojourn in Uttarkashi district.
A large number of pilgrims thronged Kedarnath and Yamunotri to witness the closure ceremonies of the Himalayan temples.
Gangotri, another Chardham temple was closed on Wednesday.
With the closure of three shrines — Gangotri, Kedarnath and Yamunotri, the Chardham yatra is now nearing its last phase. Badrinath will be closed on November 25.
Kedarnath is a popular pilgrimage destination visited by lakhs of pilgrims each year. The temple remains closed during winter when the area is covered with snow. Nearly 17.67 lakh pilgrims have visited Kedarnath shrine this season. A total nearly 49 lakh pilgrims visited the four shrines collectively called the Chardham.
