Haridwar bans Makar Sankranti holy bath at Har ki Pauri amid Covid surge
In the wake of an unprecedented rise in Covid-19 cases across India, the Haridwar administration has imposed a ban on devotees taking a holy dip in Ganga at Har ki Pauri on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. Devotees travelling to take the holy bath are being stopped at the border.
"In view of the increasing COVID-19 cases, the administration has banned the devotees to take a bath at Har ki Pauri. Simultaneously, travellers coming to Haridwar, who wanted to take a special bath of Makar Sankranti are being stopped at the border. We are requesting them to return or they are being sent to nearby ghats to take the ritual dips," informed the Haridwar CO, Shekhar Suyal.
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Makar Sankranti, also known as Maghi, is a Hindu festival during which devotees make offerings to the deity Surya. The day marks the first day of the sun's transit into the Makara, indicating the end of the month and the beginning of longer days with the winter solstice.
On the occasion of Makar Sankranti, a large number of devotees take a holy dip in the Ganga at both Haridwar and Rishikesh.
COVID-19 cases have been on the rise in Uttarakhand in recent days. On Thursday, Uttarakhand reported 8,018 COVID-19 cases. The state's overall caseload stood at 3,41,768 and the total number of deaths recorded so far is 7,433.
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-PTC News
