The doors of Badrinath Dham were closed for the winter season at 2:56 pm today. In the presence of a large number of devotees, Rawal Amarnath Namboodri performed traditional rituals and formally closed the temple doors.
Before the closing, the temple was decorated with 12 quintals of flowers. As per tradition, the idols of Uddhava and Kubera were brought out of the sanctum sanctorum, while Goddess Lakshmi was enshrined inside.
Lord Badri Vishal was covered with a ghee blanket (a special blanket coated with ghee) prepared by the Mana Mahila Mangal Dal. Following this, the temple doors were closed after prayers. Now, devotees will be able to worship Lord Badrinath at Yogadhyan Badri in Pandukeshwar.
With the closing of the doors of Badrinath Dham today, the Chardham Yatra has been postponed for six months. This year, the number of devotees coming on the Yatra has set a record. The number of pilgrims visiting the Char Dhams has reached 5.1 million, compared to 4.8 million last year.
This year’s Char Dham Yatra began on April 30, 2025, with the opening of the doors of Yamunotri and Gangotri shrines. The doors of Kedarnath shrine opened on May 2, and those of Badrinath shrine on May 4. The doors of all four shrines—Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri—have now closed.
The Char Dhams are now the winter pilgrimage sites, where devotees can perform puja, recitation, and darshan during the winter pilgrimage. This year, the number of pilgrims visiting Kedarnath and Badrinath shrines has set a record. Last year, over 16.51 lakh pilgrims visited Kedarnath shrine and over 14.35 lakh pilgrims visited Badrinath shrine.
This year, more than 17.68 lakh pilgrims have visited Kedarnath and 16.53 lakh have visited Badrinath. The number of pilgrims has decreased due to the disaster in Uttarkashi district, which has affected the pilgrimage to Yamunotri and Gangotri shrines.
