Diwali week 2026 is also closing week. Tungnath closes on Dhanteras itself, Friday 6 November. Gangotri closes on Govardhan Puja, Tuesday 10 November at 12:05 PM. Yamunotri (10:28 AM) and Kedarnath (8:30 AM) close on Bhai Dooj, Wednesday 11 November. Badrinath closes last, on Monday 16 November at 9:37 PM, after Panch Puja (12–16 November).
That means there is no “after Diwali, before closing” window for Kedarnath, Yamunotri or Gangotri in 2026 — Diwali week IS the last window. After the kapat close, darshan continues at the winter seats: Gangotri at Mukhba, Yamunotri at Kharsali, Kedarnath at Ukhimath, and Badrinath at Pandukeshwar/Joshimath.
Festival by festival:
- Friday 6 November — Dhanteras, and Tungnath closes (Tungnath is Panch Kedar, not Char Dham; its doli reaches the winter seat, Makkumath, on Sunday 8 November — Diwali day itself).
- Sunday 8 November — Diwali / Lakshmi Puja.
- Tuesday 10 November — Govardhan Puja / Annakut, and Gangotri closes at 12:05 PM (winter seat: Mukhba).
- Wednesday 11 November — Bhai Dooj, and Yamunotri closes at 10:28 AM (winter seat: Kharsali) and Kedarnath closes at 8:30 AM (winter seat: Omkareshwar Temple, Ukhimath).
- Monday 16 November — Badrinath closes at 9:37 PM, after Panch Puja (12–16 November); winter worship at Pandukeshwar and Narsingh Temple, Joshimath.
One caution on festival dates: some panchang listings put Govardhan Puja on 9 November and Bhai Dooj on 10 November. Temple closing dates stay fixed at 10 and 11 November regardless of a family’s panchang variant — do not shift a temple date to match a different festival listing.
This season also set a record: Char Dham footfall crossed 60 lakh pilgrims (6,031,017 by 20 October 2026).
Helicopter update — 2 November 2026: Char Dham charter helicopter services have been suspended from 2 November 2026, after DGCA made two pilots mandatory for every Char Dham sortie following the 30 October crash near Badrinath. No new charter flights are flying pilgrims up from Dehradun, though return flights bringing pilgrims back from the shrines continue; talks between operators, DGCA and
UCADA on 2 November ended without a breakthrough, so the suspension continues for now. If you hold a heli booking, please check with your operator / UCADA before travelling, and keep a road/trek backup.
Last-darshan tips: Registration remains mandatory via registrationandtouristcare.uk.gov.in. Carry winter clothing and thermals — temperatures at Kedarnath (3,583 m) drop sharply in November. Verify last-day timings with BKTC before travelling, as weather can force early route closures. Note that a valley forecast
is not a summit forecast — recheck before you travel. The clearer weather window is Tue 3–Sun 8 November.
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