Gangotri shrine shut till August 15 days after govt allows pilgrims from other states

The decision has been taken by the priests at the shrine in the wake of the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in the Himalayan state.

Days after the Uttarakhand government allowed pilgrims from other states to visit the Char Dham shrines with certain conditions, priests from Gangotri shrine in Uttarkashi district on Tuesday announced that they will keep the shrine closed till August 15.

Barricade put up outside the main gate of Gangotri shrine in Uttarkashi district on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

This decision was taken looking at the increasing cases of Covid-19 in the state. In the past week, over 1,000 cases have been reported from the state.

After a meeting of the Gangotri Dham Temple Committee, Purohit and Sadhu Samaj, priests from Gangotri shrine unanimously decided that the shrine will remain closed till August 15 with immediate effect and the entry of pilgrims and devotees will be prohibited.

The priest community has further decided to set up two-kilometre long barriers before the shrine and paste a poster with the details about the shrine being closed.

“Earlier, the temple was closed for darshan, now, we will block the entrance of the shrine by setting up barriers two kilometres ahead and prohibit the entry of anyone towards the shrine. We have decided this to prevent the community-spread of Covid-19 in this area,” said Semwal.

The Uttarakhand government on Friday decided to allow pilgrims from other states to visit the Char Dham shrines with some conditions.

According to the new guidelines, the pilgrims will need to have a latest RT PCR negative report (conducted within 72 hours of entering the state). Those who don’t have the negative report will be required to complete the mandatory quarantine period after entering the state before proceeding with their pilgrimage to Char Dham shrines.

The pilgrims will also be required to upload their negative RT-PCR report, or a report stating their completion of quarantine, on the website of the Char Dham board to get the permission to visit the Char Dham shrines. They will also need to keep all these documents with them during the pilgrimage.