Solar eclipse: No Ganga aarti in morning, temples open post-eclipse in Haridwar

Ganga aarti at Brahmakund, Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar has rarely been cancelled even during solar eclipses.

 

Haridwar(Agencies): Owing to the solar eclipse, shrines, temples, muths remained closed for almost 15 hours and famous Ganga aarti was not performed in Haridwar in the morning.

Temples were closed owing to the solar eclipse since last evening and the portals of shrines and temple gates were opened for pilgrims by afternoon on Sunday.

After solar eclipse got over at 2:51 pm, temples were cleaned and a sprinkling of holy Ganga jal was done with chanting of hymns by priests to purify premises.

The famous Ganga aarti at sanctum sanctorum of Brahmakund at Har-Ki-Pauri in the morning couldn’t be performed.

Notably, even during the three phases of lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus disease, the Ganga aarti continued at Brahamkund with only priests allowed to perform the rituals. But owing to the solar eclipse, Ganga Sabha and priests decided not to conduct Ganga aarti in the morning alleging the eclipse marked an unauspicious phase for religious rituals.

Ganga Sabha president Pradeep Jha said that it was rare to not perform Ganga aarti altogether, instead of altering its timing, as has been the practice during such eclipses for the past hundred years ever since the Ganga Sabha came into existence.

Currently, only local people are allowed at Har-Ki-Pauri barring those coming for ash immersion rituals.

Apart from Har-Ki-Pauri, at adjacent Ganga ghats like Kushawrat, Gau, Alaknanda, Birla, Swami Vivekananda, Ramghat, Sita ghat, Rishikul, Rishi Kashyap, Prem Nagar, Maharaj Agrasen ghat, Kankhal, people were seen taking holy dip post solar eclipse as a purifying ritual.