Chardham Yatra ends as Badrinath portals closed for winter

Amid special prayers and chanting of Vedic hymns before hundreds of devotees braving cold winds, the annual Chardham Yatra in Uttarakhand came to an end Tuesday with the ceremonial closure of gates of the Badrinath temple.

The portals of the shrine were closed at 3.21 pm after special pujas were performed by chief priest Ishwari Prasad Namboodiri to the presiding deity Lord Vishnu in the presence of a host of temple committee officials, Badri-Kedar Mandir Samiti CEO B D Singh said.

Soon after the temple gates were closed, an idol of Lord Vishnu, kept in a flower-laden palanquin, was taken to Narsingh Mandir, Joshimath, where the deity will be worshipped during winter.

Over5,000 devotees thronged the temple on the last day of the yatra season, including Yoga guru Ramdev and Pradesh BJP president Ajay Bhatt, as its sacred portals were closed for winter when the temple remains snow-bound, he said.

A total of over 10 lakh pilgrims visited the Himalayan temple this year with 5,237 paying obeisance on the last day, Singh said.

The other three Himalayan shrines, which are part of the Chardham, including Gangotri, Yamunotri and Kedarnath, have already been closed.