Why Kedarnath and Badrinath Close for Winter: the Doli, the Winter Seats, and How the Dates Are Fixed

Kedarnath and Badrinath close every winter because the snow makes both shrines unreachable and unsafe for roughly six months. Worship does not stop, though. Before the doors shut, the portable festival image of each deity is carried down the valley to a winter seat (gaddi sthal): Kedarnath's goes to the Omkareshwar temple at Ukhimath, and Badrinath's worship continues at Pandukeshwar and the Narsingh temple at Jyotirmath (Joshimath). The closing dates are fixed by priests from the Panchang every autumn, and the opening dates are announced on fixed festival days in late winter.

Why the temples cannot stay open

Both temples stand high in the Garhwal Himalaya. The Shri Badarinath-Shri Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), which manages both temples, says Kedarnath receives snowfall of up to several metres and that the temple is blanketed with snow from November to April. Its Badrinath page describes the roads as blocked by snow through the depth of winter. There is no way to keep pilgrims, priests or supplies there safely, so the temples follow an old seasonal rhythm: about six months of worship at the shrine, about six months at a lower winter seat.

What happens at the closing (the kapat ceremony)

Kapat means the temple doors, so kapat band hona is the formal closing. In outline:

1. On the chosen day, after the morning rituals, the temple doors are closed with Vedic chanting.
2. The utsav doli, a palanquin carrying the deity's portable image, leaves the shrine.
3. The doli travels down the valley, usually over more than one day with overnight halts, to the winter seat.
4. Daily worship resumes at the winter seat and continues until the spring opening.

Kedarnath: the Panchmukhi doli to Ukhimath

At Kedarnath, the sanctum holds a natural conical rock worshipped as Shiva. What travels is the festival image, which All India Radio describes as the Panchmukhi (five-faced) utsav idol of Baba Kedar. It is carried to the Omkareshwar temple in Ukhimath, in Rudraprayag district. BKTC's own description says that the winter puja of Kedarnath, along with the year-round puja of Omkareshwar, is performed at Ukhimath.

In recent years Kedarnath has closed on Bhai Dooj (also called Bhaiya Dooj), the second day (dwitiya) of the bright fortnight of Kartik, usually two days after Diwali. All India Radio reported the 2025 closing on Bhaiya Dooj. BKTC's own Kedarnath page describes the timing more loosely: the shrine generally closes on the first day of Kartik (October–November). Both point to the same season; the exact day each year is set from the Panchang.

Badrinath: Uddhav, Kuber and the Shankaracharya's seat

Badrinath closes later in the autumn; in 2024 and 2025 it closed in November. Its winter arrangement involves more than one image and two places:

• The images of Uddhav (Krishna's companion) and Kuber (the treasurer of the gods) are taken to Pandukeshwar and stay there through the winter. All India Radio reported this for both the 2024 and 2025 closings.
• The seat (gaddi) of Adi Shankaracharya travels on, with the Rawal (the chief priest), to the Narsingh temple at Jyotirmath. BKTC says Badrinath's puja is also performed at the Narsingh temple while the main shrine is snowbound.

So "Badrinath's winter seat" can mean two places. Winter worship is held both at Yogdhyan Badri in Pandukeshwar and at the Narsingh temple in Jyotirmath.

The Rawal of Badrinath comes, by long custom, from the Namboodiri Brahmin community of the Malabar region of South India, as BKTC notes. That is one reason the ceremonies keep their own order, set by the temple's priests rather than by a general rule.

A traditional belief: BKTC's Badrinath page records the belief that during the winter months worship at the closed shrine is offered by the sage Narada, and that a lamp left burning when the doors close is still alight when they reopen. This is a matter of faith, presented here as the temple committee describes it.

How the closing date is chosen

The closing dates are not fixed calendar dates. Each autumn, priests and BKTC officials work them out from the Panchang:

• Badrinath: BKTC announced in 2025 that the closing date would be decided at the temple on Vijayadashami (Dussehra). The Dharmadhikari and Vedic scholars work out the auspicious time from the Panchang in the presence of BKTC officials, and the Rawal announces it.
• Kedarnath: in recent years the closing has fallen on Bhai Dooj, with the exact time announced in advance by BKTC.
• Other temples in the group have their own date-fixing ceremonies. In 2025, for example, the closing dates for Madmaheshwar and Tungnath were set at Ukhimath and Makkumath.

When we last checked BKTC's website (23 October 2026), it did not list this year's closing dates. Travel websites already list "expected" dates. Treat them as guesses until BKTC or the Uttarakhand government confirms.

How the opening date is announced

The spring opening dates are announced months ahead, each on a fixed festival day:

Temple	Announced on	Where	Who is involved
Kedarnath	Maha Shivaratri	Omkareshwar temple, Ukhimath (the winter seat)	BKTC and the temple priests, from Panchang calculations
Badrinath	Basant Panchami	The royal palace at Narendra Nagar, Tehri Garhwal	Members of the former Tehri royal family, with priests, from the Panchang

All India Radio reported the 2026 Kedarnath opening date as announced on Maha Shivaratri at the Omkareshwar temple after Panchang calculations. ETV Bharat described the 2025 Badrinath ceremony at the Narendra Nagar palace on Basant Panchami, in the presence of the former Tehri royal family. The Badrinath season also has a date fixed for the Gadu Ghada ritual, in which sesame oil is extracted for a sacred oil pitcher ahead of the opening.

Before the Kedarnath opening, the Panchmukhi doli makes the journey in reverse: from Ukhimath, via a halt at Gaurikund, back up to the shrine.

To find the days these festivals fall on, look up Maha Shivaratri and Basant Panchami (Magha Shukla Panchami) in a Panchang for your city. ProperPandit's daily Panchang shows the tithi; for a festival date, check your local or temple Panchang as well. If you want to know how a lunar month such as Kartik is named, see the Hindu lunar months.

Can you visit in winter?

Yes, but at the winter seats, not at the high shrines. In recent winters the Uttarakhand government has promoted a winter Char Dham yatra to these seats, ETV Bharat reports. The winter seats are:

Shrine	Winter seat
Kedarnath	Omkareshwar temple, Ukhimath (Rudraprayag district)
Badrinath	Yogdhyan Badri, Pandukeshwar, and Narsingh temple, Jyotirmath (Chamoli district)
Yamunotri	Kharsali (Uttarkashi district)
Gangotri	Mukhba (Uttarkashi district)

Mountain roads are still affected by snow and landslides in winter. Check road and weather advisories before travelling.

Official channels only

• Temple committee (puja bookings, notices): badrinath-kedarnath.gov.in. The committee says prior registration is mandatory for puja, path, aarti and bhog bookings.
• Yatra registration: the Uttarakhand government's portal, registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in.
• Be wary of WhatsApp numbers or websites that offer "confirmed" registration, darshan or puja slots for a fee. Book only through the official sites above.

Closing and opening dates, times and booking rules change every year. Confirm them on these official sites before you plan (checked 23 Oct 2026).