Mussoorie, Nov. 10 -- The portals of Gangotri Dham officially closed for the winter season on Tuesday at 12.05pm amid chants of Vedic hymns and tunes from the Army band and traditional drums.

This year, the shrine witnessed an unprecedented footfall, with over one million devotees arriving for darshan since the portals opened on April 19, breaking all records from the past four years.

The temple was adorned with five quintals of flowers, and an Indian Army band played traditional tunes as the Utsav Doli (festive palanquin) of Goddess Ganga departed for its winter abode. Over a thousand devotees gathered at the shrine to witness the deity's departure.

After the closure, Goddess Ganga's palanquin began an approximately 25-kilometre journ...