After Kedarnath Dham, it’s the closing time of another well-known pilgrimage destination for the winter. A sense of dedication and tradition will permeate the air as Badrinath Dham closes for the winter on November 17, 2024, signalling the end of another Yatra season. The closing is scheduled for precisely 9:07 PM.
Insight Into Badrinath Dham’s Closure For Winters
Hundreds of kilograms of offerings were prepared to beautify the temple as part of significant rituals to honour the season before Badrinath Dham closes tomorrow. After the Veda Upanishads were formally turned over to the temple’s main priest (Rawal) and religious leader (Dharmadhikari), the recitation of Vedic words, or Veda Richas, was stopped on November 15 to signal the start of winter hibernation, as reported by India Today.
Vedpathi Ravindra Bhatt, Dharmadhikari Radhakrishna Thapliyal, Rawal Amarnath Namboodri, and BKTC (Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee) Chief Executive Officer Vijay Prasad Thapliyal took part in a solemn procession in which sacred books were closed and given to the Dharmadhikari for official closure, as reported by India Today.
As part of the big Panch Puja, the temples of Adi Kedareshwar, Adi Guru Shankaracharya, and Shri Ganesh closed on November 13 in anticipation of the upcoming long winter. Even if the Vedas are not being recited at this holy time, daily ceremonial bathing, also known as Abhishek Puja, and worship will still take place inside the temple. Rawal, Dharmadhikari, and priests from Lakshmi Temple will pray to Maa Lakshmi for the temple’s ongoing prosperity and offer Kadhai Prasad on November 16.
Also Read: Billionaire Mukesh Ambani Offers Prayers At Badrinath & Kedarnath; Donates ₹5 Crore
Marks The End Of A Chapter & Beginning A New One
In Badrinath, Uttarakhand, there is a Hindu temple or dham called Badrinath, also called Badarinarayana Temple. It is regarded as Badrinath and is one of the 108 Divya Desams devoted to Vishnu. It is situated in the Chamoli district’s Garhwal hill trails and is open for worship six months out of the year. With 28 lakh visitors in just two months in 2022, the temple is among the most popular pilgrimage sites in India. It is also a part of the pilgrimage site of Char Dham.
Ancient religious texts such as the Vishnu Purana and Skanda Purana mention the temple, and the early mediaeval Tamil canon of Alvar saints, the Naalayira Divya Prabandham, praises it.
As a sacred ceremony, the closing of the Badrinath doors marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of the next.
Cover Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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