A spiritual atmosphere fills the Himalayas as preparations peak for the reopening of the sacred Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand tomorrow. (Pics/PTI)

High-altitude areas of Uttarakhand received the first snowfall of the year on Friday, ending a long dry spell and intensifying the cold wave across the state. The fresh snowfall has covered Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Auli, Mussoorie, Chakrata, Dhanaulti, and Uttarkashi in a thick layer of white (PICS and TEXT/PTI)