The portals of Kedarnath were closed on Sunday for the winters amid Vedic rituals, with over 18,000 pilgrims thronging the Himalayan temple to witness the closure ceremony. An elaborate ceremony preceding the closure of the temple gates began at 4 am and the portals were closed at 8.30 am, Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) media in-charge Harish Gaur said.
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