Rudraprayag, Oct. 23 -- Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami offered prayers and performed worship rituals on Thrusday at the famed Shri Kedarnath Dham before the temple gates were shut for this year's winter season.

The closing of the portals of the shrine also marks the end of the pilgrimage season.

The portals of Kedarnath Dham were closed on Thursday, at 8:30 am on the auspicious occasion of Bhai Dooj. The closing ceremony was conducted with full Vedic rituals and religious traditions, accompanied by chants of 'Om Namah Shivay' and 'Jai Baba Kedar,' as well as devotional tunes played by the Indian Army band.

Uttarakhand Governor Lieutenant General Gurmit Singh (Retd.) also visited the Kedarnath Dham on Tuesday and offered...