Kedarnath Opening & Closing Date 2023

Kedarnath Temple Opening Closing Date – Kedarnath is one of the ancient temples of Lord Shiva situated in the Mandakini Valley between the mountain peaks. The temple is counted as one of the essential and pious temples in Chardham Yatra. The mountain is positioned at a height of around 3583 meters and pilgrims mostly visit here for the blessings of Lord Shiva and to achieve Moksha. Located in Rudraprayag District, Uttrakhand, the temple is one of the 12 jyotirlingas which remains open for merely 6 months every year. And hence, pilgrims have to wait for 6 months for the temple to open again.

Is Kedarnath Open Now?

Are you also willing to visit this most auspicious pilgrim? Is Kedarnath open now? Scroll down for all your answers.

Kedarnath Opening & Closing Date

What is Kedarnath’s Opening Date?

One of the important temples among the Chardham temples, Kedarnath Temple doesn’t remain open throughout the year. The temple is open for only 6 months and the date and time varies every year. The Kedarnath opening date 2023 is decided on Akshaya Tritiya or the promising day every year. The priests at Omkareshwar Temple, Ukhimath decide the opening date after calculating the nakshatras on Panchang. The opening date and time are announced on Maha Shiv Ratri every year. The opening date of Kedarnath this year is 25^th April 2023 which is already declared.

What is Kedarnath’s Closing Date?

Similar to the opening date, the Kedarnath close date 2023 is also specific every year. The temple closes on Bhai Dooj, which is two days after the festival of Diwali. Hence, for the year 2023, Diwali would be celebrated on 12^th November 2023, and hence, the tentative closing date of Kedarnath temple would be 14^th November 2023.

Opening and Closing Ceremony of Kedarnath Dham:

Once the Kedarnath opening month and date are announced, the pilgrims willing to visit the temple start with their preparations. Pilgrims not only from India but from around the world make their bookings to visit the temple and seek the blessings of Lord Shiva. They are also allowed to offer Prasad and flowers in the Kedarnath temple.

On the day of opening, the Rawal and Pujaris of the temple devote prayers for a very long time period after which the gates of the temple are opened. Once the gates are opened, pilgrims are allowed to enter the temple. A similar tradition is carried on the closing date of the temple too. On the closing date, which is on Bhai Dooj, the Garhwal Bands from Omkareshwar temple take the Doli of Baba Kedarnath to Omkareshwar temple located in Ukhimath. Just as the hearts of the pilgrims are filled with excitement on the opening day, on the closing day, they become disheartened as they would have to wait for 6 months again for the gates to open.

Registration Process of Kedarnath Dham Yatra:

The pilgrims need to register themselves online for visiting the Kedarnath Temple in advance. Hence, once the opening date of Kedarnath Temple is announced the pilgrims need to start with the registration process. Here are how pilgrims can make their bookings.

Visit the official registration website (registrationandtoursitcare.uk.gov.in).
Select the option Login or Register.
Fill out the registration form and verify it using an OTP generated and sent to the mobile number and email address given in the application form.
Go to the personalized dashboard and give click on add pilgrims.
All the essential details asked like the number of pilgrims, tour dates, destination, name of the tour, etc.

Once the registration form is submitted, the pilgrims can easily download the registration letter with the help of the Unique Registration Number.

The temple is open from the months of April, May, June, July, August, September, October, and November. These six months, the entire temple remains crowded nearly every day.

Reaching Kedarnath Temple in Winters:

During winter, the temple remains closed due to heavy snowfall in the region. The temple remains closed from Bhai Dooj to Akshay Tritiya. Also, the pure statue of Lord Shiva is transferred from Garhwal or the temple to Ukhimath. During winters, not only the temple, but the entire Kedarnath place remains closed, however, people willing to seek the blessings of Lord Shiva can visit Ukhimath as the Shivlinga would be kept there, but most of the pilgrims wait for the gates to open next year for Darshana. The pilgrims aren’t allowed to visit Kedarnath during winter as that can prove to be risky.

To reach Kedarnath, pilgrims can travel by train, road, or by air. Other places to visit on the way to Kedarnath include Kalpeshwar Temple, Madhyamaheshwar Temple, Rudranath Temple, and many more. Apart from this, people who enjoy trekking can also visit here to explore various peak points like Vasuki Tal Trek, Chandrasheela Trek, Chopta and Tungnath Trek, Chorabai Trek, and many more. For exploring all these areas, the pilgrims need a time of around 3 to 4 days.