Reportedly, the closing ceremony held today at 11 am with Kirtan and traditional Sikh Prayers. Such ceremonies are carried out every year ahead of the winter season.
Shri Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara is situated in the upper Garhwal region of Uttarakhand in Chamoli district. The Gurudwara authorities ahead of the winters announced its closure on Friday. Such closure has been announced due to the bad weather conditions and heavy snowfall in the area.
Reportedly, the closing ceremony held today at 11 am with Kirtan and traditional Sikh Prayers. Such ceremonies are carried out every year ahead of the winter season. As the Gurudwara is located at about 16000 feet above sea level, the footpath to the Gurudwara becomes slippery due to the weather conditions.
According to the authorities, the event was attended by representatives of the local police administration and the Hemkund Sahib Trust. Even though the area up to Atlakoti was covered in snow, fervent devotees managed to approach Hemkund Sahib, according to Sardar Seva Singh, prabandhak of the Shri Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara Trust, who spoke to PTI.
On this occasion, he said, about 2,000 devotees were present. For the pilgrims’ convenience, he continued, snow clearing efforts are being made along the route. As of Thursday, 2,72,423 devotees have visited Shri Hemkund Sahib this year, compared to 1,83,722 pilgrims who visited the gurudwara last year.
