Mussoorie, Oct. 23 -- The sacred portals of Gangotri Dham, one of the revered Char Dham pilgrimage sites, were closed for the winter season on Wednesday amid resonant Vedic chants and traditional rituals. The ceremonial closure took place at 11:36 am during the auspicious Abhijit Muhurta, marking the end of this year's pilgrimage to the shrine dedicated to Goddess Ganga. Thousands of devotees from across the country and abroad gathered at the shrine to witness the final darshan of the Utsav Murti (ceremonial idol) of the Goddess on the occasion of Annakoot. Following the rituals, the idol was placed in a palanquin (doli) and began its journey towards Mukhba village, the winter abode of Goddess Ganga, amid chants of "Jai Maa Ganga." The doli procession, led by Tirth Purohits (pilgrimage priests), was accompanied by traditional folk musicians and will halt overnight at the Chandi Devi Temple in Markandeya Puri. Speaking about the ceremony, Suresh Semwal, Secretary of the Gangotri Temple Committee, said, "Special prayers and Vedic hymns were performed as per Hindu tradition. The doli of the deity will reach Mukhba on Bhai Dooj (Thursday), where it will be received by Lord Someshwar before being enshrined in the Ganga Temple at Mukhba for the next six months." He added that 7,57,010 devotees visited Gangotri Dham during this year's pilgrimage season. Meanwhile, officials informed that the portals of the Yamunotri Temple will be closed on Thursday, October 23, at 12:30 pm on the occasion of Bhai Dooj. The idol of Goddess Yamuna will then be shifted to her winter seat in Kharsali village, where devotees will continue to offer prayers during the colder months. Pilgrims expressed both devotion and emotion as the sacred doors of Gangotri closed for the season. Birendra Singh Rana, a devotee from Rajasthan, said, "I missed visiting Gangotri last year, but I feel blessed to have the darshan of Goddess Ganga on the closing day of the Yatra this time." Located at an altitude of 3,140 metres, Gangotri Dham is one of the four Himalayan shrines....