Uttarakhand religious bodies want pilgrims from outside state given access to religious places

The Uttarakhand government has not allowed visitors from outside the state access to religious places of worship.

 

Haridwar(Agencies): A masked priest at the revered shrine of Mata Chandi Devi in Haridwar

With very few pilgrims coming to temples and for the holy dip at Ganga ghats, Haridwar saints and religious bodies have sought relaxation for pilgrims from other states to visit religious places in Uttarakhand.

With a major chunk of the local economy depending on religious tourism including the fabled Char Dham yatra, Hemkund Sahib pilgrimage, Rishikesh and Haridwar circuit, various religious organizations and temple committees in the state want pilgrims from across the country to be given permission to renew visits to these places.

Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad, the apex body of all the Akhadas, reasons that with the opening up of establishments and religious-commercial activities in unlock 1.0, pilgrim movement from other states should also be allowed.

National general secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Akhada Parishad Mahant Hari Giri Maharaj said that shrines in the state should be allowed to welcome all devotees after more than two months long closure.

The demand follows Uttarakhand government’s decision to bar visitors from other states from accessing religious places and tourist hotspots in the state.

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Mahant Hari Giri Maharaj cited the 48 % plus national recovery rate of Covid-19 patients to say the rule was not helpful and added that the religious institutions should be trusted to ensure social distancing norms but it was not apt to only let local pilgrims visit religious places of worship in Uttarakhand.

Ganga Sabha, the sole body managing the affairs of world famous sanctum sanctorum of Brahamkund, Har-Ki-Pauri citing less arrival of pilgrims since Monday at Har-Ki-Pauri has demanded relaxation for other state pilgrims too.

Pradeep Jha, president of Ganga Sabha pointed “When the union government has given relaxation in Unlock 1.0 guidelines state government and local administration should further provide the benefit to pilgrims not only of Uttarakhand but of the whole country.

 “Religious sentiments are the same for devotees whether they are from our state or other parts of the country. Everyone wishes to take a sacred Ganga dip at Har-Ki-Pauri, view enchanting Ganga Aarti but for the past 70 odd days this isn’t possible. Pilgrims should be given permission to pay obeisance for religious-spiritual purposes, this will also boost local economy and livelihood of priests, teerth purohits who are majorly dependent on pilgrims influx “Pradeep Jha, Ganga Sabha president stated.

District magistrate C Ravi Shankar said that as per the standard operating procedures laid by union and state government opening of religious worship places and Har-Ki-Pauri Ganga ghats has been done and so far only local people are allowed entry rest depends on future guidelines.