Mussoorie, Oct. 20 -- The revered Himalayan shrines of Kedarnath and Badrinath have been adorned with hundreds of lamps and floral decorations as part of the four-day Diwali celebrations being organised by the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), which are starting from Monday. According to Hemant Dwivedi, president of the Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee, both shrines have been lavishly decorated with 12 quintals of flowers that have been sourced with the support of devotees and donors. The festivities are being jointly coordinated by the temple committee and the community of priests at the two Dhams. "The celebrations will continue for four days. The temple premises and pathways have been decorated with flowers and lamps for the Deepotsav and the upcoming closing ceremony of the Kedarnath Dham's portals," Dwivedi said. "On Monday, special Pooja-Archana and Deep Prajwalan (lamp lighting) rituals will be held to mark Diwali," he added. The portals of Kedarnath Dham are scheduled to close for the winter on October 23, following the traditional rituals that mark the end of the annual Char Dham Yatra season. Officials said that elaborate security and crowd management arrangements have been made at both shrines to ensure the safety of devotees during the celebrations and the closing ceremony. Both Kedarnath and Badrinath dhams record a surge of pilgrims during the festive period, as devotees from across the country arrive to witness the illuminated shrines nestled amid the snow-clad peaks of the Garhwal Himalayas, a sight regarded by many as one of the most divine moments of the yatra season. Every year, the shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri open in summer and remain accessible until late October or November, depending on the lunar calendar and festive occasions. With heavy snowfall cutting off access to the higher Himalayan regions, the deities are taken to their designated winter seats where worship continues until the reopening of the routed in April or May, after the snow has melted....