Kedarnath closes for winter on November 11, Badrinath on November 16

The doors of Kedarnath Dham in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district will close for the winter on the morning of Wednesday, 11 November 2026, the day of Bhai Dooj, ending this year's pilgrimage season at the Himalayan shrine. By 5 November, 18,95,701 devotees had visited Kedarnath this season, according to figures reported from the temple. The doors of Badrinath Dham in Chamoli district will close at 9.37 pm on Monday, 16 November, after five days of special rituals, the temple committee announced on Vijayadashami.

Kedarnath and Badrinath are among the most important pilgrimage sites in Hinduism. Kedarnath is dedicated to Shiva and Badrinath to Vishnu, and both are part of Uttarakhand's Char Dham yatra. Both sit high in the Garhwal Himalaya, where heavy snow makes them unreachable in winter, so their doors close each year around Diwali and reopen in spring.

The closing is itself a ceremony that draws large crowds. According to tradition, the deity's festival idol is carried in a decorated palanquin, the doli, to its winter seat, where worship continues through the cold months. For Kedarnath, the winter seat is the Omkareshwar temple at Ukhimath, and for Badrinath, worship moves to lower altitudes in Chamoli district. At Badrinath, the closing is preceded by the panch puja, five days of rituals that begin on 12 November this year.

The season's numbers also matter for Uttarakhand's economy. Nearly 19 lakh visitors to Kedarnath alone by early November means steady business for pony operators, porters, helicopter services, hotels and small shops along the route to the shrine. When the doors close, much of that seasonal work stops until the shrines reopen.

For pilgrims, the dates are the practical point. Anyone planning a visit this year has only a few days left: Kedarnath's doors close on the morning of 11 November, so the last full day of darshan there is 10 November. Badrinath stays open until the night of 16 November. Those who miss the window can offer worship at the winter seats, which stay open through the season.

Peepals timeline: On Tuesday, 20 October 2026 (Vijayadashami), the temple committee announced that Kedarnath would close on 11 November and Badrinath on 16 November. By Thursday, 5 November, Kedarnath had recorded 18,95,701 devotees for the season. The doors of Kedarnath close on the morning of 11 November. Badrinath's panch puja begins on 12 November, and its doors close at 9.37 pm on 16 November, five days after Kedarnath.

Short-term: Pilgrims hoping for darshan this year have until the morning of 11 November at Kedarnath and until the evening of 16 November at Badrinath. Large crowds are expected for the closing ceremonies, so pilgrims should plan for queues and cold weather.

Long-term: The season's final numbers will feed into the state's planning for crowd control, road and ropeway projects and services on the yatra routes for 2027. Worship continues at the winter seats, where devotees can visit through the cold months.

Who is affected: Pilgrims from across India and abroad; the priests and temple staff who move to the winter seats; and the thousands of local people whose livelihoods depend on the yatra season.

What to watch next: The closing ceremony at Kedarnath on 11 November and at Badrinath at 9.37 pm on 16 November 2026.

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