DEHRADUN: The sacred portals of Badrinath Dham, a cornerstone of the revered Char Dham Yatra, were formally closed for the winter season on Tuesday at 2:56 PM. The closure marks the end of a highly successful pilgrimage period, which saw a significant rise in devotees compared to the previous year.

The solemn closing ceremony was conducted by the Rawal (chief priest), Amarnath Nambudiri, in the presence of a large gathering of devotees, adhering strictly to ancient traditions.

The season witnessed unprecedented footfall across the Himalayan shrines. According to sources within the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), the total number of pilgrims visiting the four major Char Dham shrines this year surpassed 51 lakh, an increase of nearly three lakh visitors over last year’s figure of 48 lakh.

"This year's turnout is historic, despite inclement weather during the yatra," stated Hemant Diwedi, Chairman of the BKTC. "The devotion shown by pilgrims, particularly at Kedarnath and Badrinath, has set new benchmarks."

At the time of the closure of Badrinath shrine, the Char Dham devotees’ count stood at 5,106,346.