Chardham Yatra to the Winter Abodes of Deities Worshipped in Kedarnath and Badrinath to Start from This Year

Every year after Diwali the deities worshipped in the Chardham – Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri – in Uttarakhand are transferred to their winter abode - temples in lower altitudes. These are temples located in Rudraprayag, Chamoli and Uttarkashi districts of Uttarakhand. Now the government of Uttarakhand is planning to conduct Yatra to the temples that are home to the deities in winter.

The Shiva murti from Kedarnath is shifted to Ukhimath in Rudraprayag district during winter.

The Vishnu murtis from Badrinath is shifted to Pandukeshwar in Chamoli district

The murtis worshipped in Gangotri and Yamunotri are relocated to Mukhba and Kharsail in Uttarkashi district. 

Hindustan Times reports
 The deities from the holy Char Dham temples are shifted to alternate locations during the winter months, once the portals to the four holy spots close in mid-October. This is because the snow renders their original abodes in the higher reaches of the mountains inaccessible. The idols are taken back to their respective temples once the portals re-open in the first week of May.
 Certain parts of the pilgrimage will, however, end at lower altitudes. The Kedarnath pilgrimage will not go up to the Kedarnath temple but will culminate at Ukhimath, 40 kilometres downhill.
 Similarly, the Badrinath pilgrimage will end 15 kilometres ahead of the shrine site at Pandukeshwar, Gangotri 25 kilometres before Mukhawa, and Yamunotri at Kharsali, seven kilometres from where it normally ends.