Mussoorie, Oct. 26 -- The five-faced palanquin (doli) of Lord Kedarnath reached its designated winter seat at the Omkareshwar Temple in Ukhimath on Saturday afternoon, marking the commencement of the winter yatra period, officials said. The procession was accompanied by devotional music from the Army band and enthusiastic chants of "Jai Baba Kedarnath" as it offered darshan to devotees at various stops along the route. The portals of the world-renowned 11th Jyotirlinga, Shri Kedarnath Dham, had closed for the winter on Thursday, on the auspicious occasion of Bhai Dooj. After the closure, the doli travelled through Rampur and the Shri Vishwanath Temple in Guptkashi before finally arriving at Ukhimath on Saturday. Devotees lined the route to welcome the divine palanquin, showering flowers and seeking blessings from the deity. Hemant Dwivedi, president of the Badrinath Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC), said, "For the next six months, the winter worship of Lord Kedarnath will be performed at the winter seat, where the five-faced idol will be available for devotees to offer prayers." He added that the winter yatra is being actively promoted under the guidance of chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and appealed to devotees to visit Ukhimath during the winter season for prayers. Rajkumar Tiwari, president of the Kedar Sabha, said, "Pilgrims will be able to offer prayers at the winter seat of Lord Kedar for the next six months. We urge the government to promote the winter yatra on a larger scale so that more people become aware of it in the coming days." Portals of Kedarnath Dham were ceremonially closed for the winter season on Thursday morning amid Vedic rituals and in the presence of the chief minister and other officials....