Can’t Go To Kedarnath Temple In Winter? You Can Still Seek Baba Kedar’s Blessings Here

The Kedarnath Temple closed for the winter season on November 11, 2026, and will remain closed for about six months. But Lord Shiva devotees shouldn’t lose heart. They can still have the darshan of Baba Kedar at the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, which serves as the winter home of Lord Kedarnath. Here’s everything you need to know about this temple.

Omkareshwar Temple In Ukhimath

Lord Shiva’s Kedarnath Temple, one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, closed for the winter season at 8:30 am on November 11. Proper rituals and chanting of Vedic mantras took place in accordance with traditional customs before the temple doors were closed. Because of heavy snow and extreme cold in the high mountains, the shrine stays shut for about six months every winter and is now expected to reopen in May 2027.

But does this mean that Lord Shiva devotees cannot see their Baba Kedar? No! Every year, after the main shrine closes, a ceremonial procession carries the deity’s sacred idol, the Panchmukhi Doli, to Ukhimath in Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand. Here, the deity rests at the Omkareshwar Temple, which is considered the winter abode of Lord Kedarnath.

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Daily Prayers To Continue At This Winter Abode 

For the next six months, daily prayers and worship will continue at the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath, where people can come and seek blessings. Darshan at this temple is considered spiritually equivalent to visiting Kedarnath Temple itself, but without the challenging high-altitude trek.

Unlike the Kedarnath Temple, this winter abode of Baba Kedar stays open throughout the year. Not just for Kedarnath, but Omkareshwar is the winter home of Madmaheshwar as well. For elderly pilgrims, those unable to trek and winter travellers, this temple provides the same peace and spiritual blessings in a far easier setting.

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Have you ever visited Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath? How was your experience?

Cover Image Courtesy: Ukhimath, Wikipedia/Vvnataraj

Ashmeet Guliani | Content Writer

Ashmeet Guliani is a Content Writer at Curly Tales with over three years of experience writing about food, travel, fashion, and lifestyle. With a B.Sc in Home Economics from the University of Delhi, her interest in reading and writing led her to pursue a career in writing. In her free time, she explores cafes, browses bookstores, listens to Hindi retro songs, and watches K-dramas!