Kedarnath temple closes for winter amid fresh spells of rain and snowfall

The shrine of Kedarnath is covered in a layer of snow on Monday as the Valley and the surrounding hills received fresh spells of snowfall, causing a significant dip in the temperature levels of the hills. The revered shrine is located in the Garhwal Himalayan range near the Mandakini river at about 22 kilometres uphill trek from Gaurikund.

The sacred portals of the Himalayan shrine of Kedarnath were closed for the winter season on Monday amid a fresh spell of snowfall. The gates of the temple, which houses one of the 11 jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and attracts devotees from across the world, were closed at 8:30 am after an elaborate ceremony.

Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Yogi Adityanath and Trivendra Singh Rawat had arrived at the Kedarnath temple to offer prayers and participate in the portal closing ceremony of the shrine in the early hours of Monday. Adityanath and Rawat witnessed snowfall in the Kedarnath temple area as they entered the shrine here.

Trees and houses were seen covered in white sparkling snow making the place magnificent for tourists for the winters. People visited Kedarnath in Rudraprayag district amid a light snowfall.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Uttarakhand forecast, the state will witness very light to light rainfall/snowfall at a few places in Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh districts and at isolated places in Tehri, Dehradun and Almora districts here. Moreover, dry weather likely to prevail in the remaining districts of the state. Snowfall is likely to occur at isolated places with height 3,000 m and above.