The Shri Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) has provided the dates for the winter closures of the Kedarnath and Badrinath Dhams. Kedarnath Dham will close for the winter season on October 23rd. The portals of Badrinath Dham are scheduled to close on November 25th at 2:56 PM. The announcement of these dates occurred on Vijayadashami. A special religious ceremony took place at Badrinath Temple to determine the closure date. This ceremony involved the Dharmadhikari and Vedic pundits, who, along with BKTC officials, utilized panchang calculations to finalize the date. The Rawal of Badrinath Dham then formally declared the closing date for the temple. The ceremonial turban (Pagdi) for Bhandar Seva in the year 2026 was also presented. The same day, the dates for the annual Panch Pujas will be confirmed. The auspicious time (muhurat) for the journey of Shri Uddhav Ji, Shri Kuber Ji to Pandukeshwar, and the Adi Guru Shankaracharya’s Gaddi, as well as the vehicle of Lord Vishnu, Shri Garud Ji, to their winter seat at the Narsingh Temple in Jyotirmath, will be determined. Additionally, the closing dates for the second Kedar, Shri Madmaheshwar Ji, at the Omkareshwar Temple Ukhimath (Rudraprayag), and the third Kedar, Shri Tungnath Ji, at the Shri Markateshwar Temple, Makkumath (Rudraprayag) will be decided. Badrinath is a key Char Dham pilgrimage site that attracts numerous visitors, while Kedarnath is another important site within the Char Dham circuit, located in the Himalayan region.
