Tungnath temple in U'khand's Rudraprayag closed for winter

After the closure of the temple gates, the idol of Baba Tungnath Lord Shiva was carried in a palanquin decorated with flowers to Chopta where he will be worshipped during winter.

The portals of the Tungnath temple here were closed for winter on Wednesday amid chanting of vedic hymns and elaborate rituals, said Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee Chairman Ajendra Ajay.

Ajay said that the gates of the temple were closed at 11 am after an ''early morning aarti and pujas''. He added that around 1,500 devotees turned up at the temple to see the closure ceremony.

Tungnath, located at a height of above 11,000 feet, is the highest of the Panch Kedar group of temples in Garhwal Himalayas. The temple remains closed during the winter as the area becomes snowbound. Ajay said that a total of 35,000 devotees visited the temple this year. After the closure of the temple gates, the idol of Baba Tungnath (Lord Shiva) was carried in a palanquin decorated with flowers to Chopta where he will be worshipped during winter.