The portals of Kedarnath shrine, 268 km from Dehradun, and situated in Rudraprayag district, were closed for six months on Monday.
The closing ceremony took place amid chanting of 'Vedic shlokas' with the idols of Lord Shiva being shifted to Ukhimath (220 km from Dehradun, for winter halt. A two-day festival will begin at Ukimath from Tuesday to welcome Lord Shiva.
It was an emotive moment for several devotees who had thronged from different parts of the nation to witness closing ritual of the temple gates.
The portals of Yamnotri temple were also closed on Monday. The palanquins carrying the idol of Yamuna was taken to Khershali where devotees can offer 'darshan' during winters.
On Sunday, the portals of Gangotri temple were closed. After the closure of the temple, the idol of goddess Ganga was taken to Mukhba village in Uttarkashi district. According to Char Dham Temple Committee officials, around six lakh devotees visited Kedarnath, located above 10,000 feet, this year. Last year, 5.5 lakh people had visited it.