Pujas & Festivals
Seasons for the pilgrimage
The Chaar Dhaam temples are only open during the summer months and close before the beginning of the snows. The dates of the opening and closing of each temple is announced around the Hindu New Year in April.
Usually the temples open in early to mid May often at Akshaya Tritiya and close by end October. The temples at Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri all close on Yama Dwitiya or Bhai Duj.
Please check the temple websites for the exact date for the year.
Pujas & Festivals
Yamunotri
- Temples opens on Akshaya Tritiya in May and closes on Yama Dwitiya or Bhai Duj in October / November.
- Aarti timings are 6.30 am and 7.30 pm.
- There are special pujas at Janamashtami and Diwali.
Gangotri
- Utthan and Shringar puja at 4 am that is not open to the public.
- Mangalarti at 6am.
- Sandhya arti at 7-7.30 pm.
- The Raj bhog that is offered to the deity is available for purchase at the temple office.
- There is a special Shringar Puja offered on Ganga Saptami in the month of Vaisakh (April) when Ganga is said to have descended to earth.
- Ganga Dussehra is in Jyeshtha (May) when Shiva offered the river to Bhagirath. At this festival village people come in a procession to the temple.
- The festivals of Janamashtami, Vijaya Dashami, Dussehra and Diwali are all celebrated at the temple.
- On Yama Dwitiya when the temple closes the gold crown of the deity and an image of Bhagirath are taken to Mukhwa Village in a procession.
Kedarnath
- Timings – 6 am – 2 pm. 5 – 8 pm.
- Pilgrim offer silver plated bilva leaves and the water from the Bhagirathi at Gangotri.
- Bhog is offered at 4 pm.
- Shringar Darshan 5 pm.
- Sandhya Aarti at 6.45 pm.
- The Shravani Annakut Mela is celebrated on the day before Rakshbandhan. The jyotirlingam is covered in cooked rice which is distributed as Prasad.
- The day of the closing of the temple a special Samadhi Puja is held.
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