Hemkund Sahib Gurudwara closes for winter

Hemkund Sahib, the holy shrine of Sikhs was closed on Saturday for the winter season. Nearly 1,350 devotees were present at the time of the closure, the trust's management said.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the shrine opened late this year. Since it was opened on September 4, close to 8,500 devotees offered prayers in 36 days. Last year, over 2.39 lakh devotees had visited the shrine, the trust management said.

"This year, the shrine was opened for 36 days. We got full cooperation from the police as well as locals. All devotees who reached shrine followed prescribed guidelines under COVID-19," informed Seva Singh, Chief Manager of Hemkund Sahib Management Trust.

The portals of the shrine have now been closed.

( With inputs from ANI )