Chamoli: The doors of Bhu Baikunth Badrinath Dham will be closed for the winter season with due rituals at 2:56 pm on Tuesday. Consequently, Badrinath Dham has been adorned with a magnificent floral decoration, adorning the shrine with 10 quintals of flowers. A large number of devotees have arrived to witness the special occasion of the closing of the doors. It is estimated that more than 5,000 devotees will be present at the shrine during the closing of the doors.
It is worth noting that the Panch Pujas (five worship rituals) began at Badrinath Dham on November 21st. Following the closing of the doors of the Ganesh Temple, Adi Kedareshwar, and Adi Guru Shankaracharya Gaddi Sthal, the recitation of Vedic verses at the shrine concluded. The Panch Pujas concluded on Monday with special prayers at the Mata Lakshmi Temple. On Monday evening, the eve of the closing of the doors, special rituals were held at the Mata Lakshmi Temple, including the “Kadhai Bhoga” (feast of five pujas).
Kadhai Festival Celebrated at Badrinath Dham: On this occasion, Amarnath Namboodri, the chief priest (Rawal) of Badrinath, formally invited Goddess Lakshmi to reside in the sanctum sanctorum of Badrinath. According to religious tradition, Goddess Lakshmi resides in her temple at the Parikrama Sthal for six months after the opening of the doors of the Badrinath Temple. The “Kadhai Bhoga” festival at Badrinath Dham is an important part of the closing ceremony. In this ceremony, offerings are made to Goddess Lakshmi to invite her to reside in the sanctum sanctorum with Lord Narayana. This festival, also known as the fourth day of the “Panch Puja,” is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi, and only after this, the final preparations for closing the doors of the temple begin.
After the Kadhai Bhog, Goddess Lakshmi is taken to the Lakshmi Temple to invite her to reside in the sanctum sanctorum with Lord Narayana. On Monday, the fourth day of Panch Puja, a special puja was performed for Goddess Mahalakshmi, seated within the temple premises, and Kadhai Prasad was offered. Following this, Goddess Lakshmi was requested to reside in the Badrinath Temple sanctum sanctorum in the company of Lord Hari Narayana for the remainder of the winter season. Darshan will now be available here: After the doors of Badrinath Dham are closed, the original self-manifested idol of Lord Badri Vishal is enshrined in Jyotirmath (Nrisimha Temple). It should be noted that the original self-manifested Shaligram idol is never taken out of Badrinath, but a festival idol (movable idol) is taken for worship. During the winter season, this festival idol is worshipped at the Nrisimha Temple in Joshimath. The idols of Lord Uddhava and Kubera reside in Pandukeshwar (Yogadhyan Badri Temple).
