Kedarnath and Yamunotri temples close for winter as deities move to winter homes

Winter Closures

The portals of the Kedarnath shrine closed for the winter season at 8.30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, after Vedic mantras and prescribed rituals. Special prayers and religious ceremonies began early at 4 a.m. according to traditional customs. After the closure, the processional palanquin of Lord Kedarnath moved around the temple complex before leaving for the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, which serves as the deity's winter home.

Palanquin Journey

The palanquin makes an overnight stop at Rampur on Wednesday before arriving in Guptkashi on November 12. It will reach the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath on November 13. Devotees can offer prayers to the deity at this winter abode for the next six months. Meanwhile, the ceremonial palanquin of Goddess Yamuna, led by Shani Dev Maharaj, left Yamunotri for Kharsali amid folk music and traditional rituals. Villagers and pilgrims gave the palanquin a grand welcome in the afternoon at the ancestral village by showering it with flowers and garlands.

Temple Finances

During the six-month pilgrimage season, the Yamunotri Temple Committee collected over ₹90 lakh in donations through receipt books and donation boxes. On Tuesday, November 10, a day before the temple closed, the committee opened the donation boxes for the fourth time to count the offerings. This counting process brought in ₹10 lakh 42 thousand in cash alongside roughly ₹6 lakh gathered through receipt books.

Context

Many Himalayan shrines in Uttarakhand close their doors during the freezing winter months when heavy snowfall makes the high-altitude sites hard to reach. During this period, temple deities are moved to lower-altitude winter abodes so that devotees can continue to offer their prayers. The annual reopening of these shrines typically takes place in the spring.