India, Nov. 5 -- The higher reaches of Uttarakhand witnessed the season's first snowfall on Wednesday morning, blanketing the peaks around Kedarnath and Badrinath in a pristine layer of white.

According to officials, snowfall began around 3 am in the Badrinath Dham area, covering the temple complex, surrounding hills, and approaching roads in thick layers of snow.

"The spell of snow that began at 3 am continued till around 7 am, leading to a sharp dip in temperature and heralding the onset of the winter season here," executive officer of the Badrinath Nagar Panchayat, Sunil Purohit, said.

Over 1,000 pilgrims are currently visiting Badrinath. "It was freezing cold, but we couldn't resist stepping out to see the snow-covered temple," sai...