Makar Sankranti holy bath banned in Haridwar's Har Ki Pauri amid rise in Covid-19 cases

Haridwar administration has imposed a ban on devotees taking a holy dip in Ganga at Har Ki Pauri on the occasion of Makar Sankranti amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

"In view of the increasing COVID-19 cases, the administration has banned the devotees to take a bath at Harki Pauri. Simultaneously, travellers coming to Haridwar, who wanted to take a special bath of Makar Sankranti are being stopped at the border. We are returning them by requesting them or, devotees are sent to nearby ghats to take the holy dips," said Haridwar CO Shekhar Suyal.

Makar Sankranti or Maghi is a festival in the Hindu calendar, in which devotees make offerings to the deity Surya. The day marks the first day of the sun's transit into the Makara, marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.

Uttarakhand recorded 8,018 COVID-19 cases on Thursday. The cumulative caseload of the state stood at 3,41,768 while the total number of deaths recorded so far are 7,433.

( With inputs from ANI )

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