The Char Dham temples in Uttarakhand, including the revered Badrinath and Kedarnath temples, will be closing their doors on Saturday at 4 PM due to the lunar eclipse. This closure is part of the religious tradition to observe the inauspicious period associated with the eclipse. The temples will reopen on Sunday morning after purification rituals and resume their usual morning rituals. Other temples under the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee will also be making similar arrangements.
Dehradun: In a traditional yet precautionary measure, all temples under the Shri Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee in Uttarakhand, including the popular Badrinath and Kedarnath temples, will be closed on Saturday at 4 PM. The closure is in response to the upcoming lunar eclipse and the associated inauspicious period. The lunar eclipse is set to begin at 1:04 AM, a good nine hours before the temples shut their doors.
But fear not, dear pilgrims! The temples will reopen on Sunday morning after a purification puja and during the auspicious Brahma Muhurta. They will resume their usual morning rituals such as the sacred Mahabhishek and Rudrabhishek ceremonies.
Other temples, including the Shri Nrsimha Temple Joshimath, Dvitiya Kedar Madmaheshwar, Tritiya Kedar Tungnath, Shri Omkareshwar Temple Ukhimath, and Yoga Badri Pandukeshwar, will also make similar arrangements for worship during the lunar eclipse.
It’s important to note that the closure of all temples in Uttarakhand, including the revered Char Dham, is due to the lunar eclipse and the subsequent inauspicious period. This temporary closure will begin at 4 PM on October 28th and continue until the morning of October 29th.
Even the Gangotri and Yamunotri temples will be closed during this period.
To give you a detailed schedule, the Badrinath temple will perform the Rajbhog ceremony at 11 AM on October 28th, followed by cleaning and reopening at 2 PM. However, it will close its doors at 4 PM for the lunar eclipse.
Similarly, the Kedarnath temple will conduct its morning rituals, including the Rudrabhishek ceremony, and will be open for a few hours before closing at 4 PM.
Other temples under the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee will also follow similar opening and closing schedules during the eclipse period.
On the morning of October 29th, all temples will perform purification rituals and continue with their scheduled ceremonies.
It’s worth noting that due to the closure during the day, pilgrims will only be able to attend the evening aarti of the temples.
This closure during the lunar eclipse and sutak period is primarily a precautionary measure to uphold religious traditions and beliefs. Once the sutak period is over, the temples will resume their regular opening hours and rituals.
It’s fascinating to observe how these ancient traditions are meticulously followed, and how such events allow pilgrims to experience the spiritual essence of these sacred places.
So, if you were planning a visit to any of these temples, do keep in mind the closure during the lunar eclipse period. But don’t worry, once the eclipse is over, the doors of these revered temples will be wide open to welcome devotees once again.