Uttarakhand: Hemkund Sahib shrine to close for winter season on 10 October

Dehradun: The portals of Hemkund Sahib will be closed for winters this year on 10 October. Around 5,000 pilgrims have visited the Himalayan gurdwara since it was opened for devotees on 18 September after months of closure due to the second wave of COVID-19, Govind Ghat Sardar Seva Singh, the chief manager of Shri Hemkund Gurdwara Trust, said. Pilgrimage to Hemkund Sahib is being conducted with strict compliance to COVID-19 protocol, Singh said. The Himalayan shrine is closed annually for the winter season during which the area becomes snow-bound and difficult to access.