Haridwar DM prohibits entry of visitors to Ganga Arti site till March 31 amid Coronavirus

In view of the rapid spread of the novel Coronavirus, the Haridwar District Magistrate C Ravishankar on Thursday issued an order prohibiting the entry of visitors to the Ganga Aarti site at Har-ki-Pauri in Uttarakhand till March 31. The order also mentioned that the Aarti will continue to be held and will be live-streamed for devotees. Earlier on Wednesday, the Uttar Pradesh government suspended the ceremonial Ganga Arti at the ghats in Varanasi.

Every evening, the Ganga Aarti is performed at the three holy cities of Haridwar, Rishikesh, and Varanasi in India. An aarti is a devotional ritual that uses fire as an offering. It's usually made in the form of a lit lamp, and in the case of the Ganges River, a small diya with a candle and flowers that are floated down the river. The offering is made to the Goddess Ganga, also affectionately referred to as Maa Ganga, goddess of the holiest river in India. 

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Coronavirus crisis in India

As of date, the total number of positive cases in India has soared over 169, including foreign nationals. The maximum cases of the virus have been reported in Maharashtra and Kerala. A third death was reported in India on Tuesday in Mumbai's Kasturba Hospital. Earlier, two deaths were reported in Kalaburgi and West Delhi. 

The Centre has “strongly advised” Indians to avoid all non-essential travel abroad. The government is also monitoring all suspected cases and has issued preventive advisories. Earlier on Saturday, the Central government decided to treat the deadly virus as a "notified disaster", and has since issued even more advisories and travel restrictions.

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COVID-19 affected over 170 countries

First detected in Wuhan in December 2019, COVID-19- the novel Coronavirus has affected nearly 173 countries in the world and one international conveyance-- the Diamond Princess cruise ship harboured in Yokohama, Japan. Presently, there are around 219,087 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which has led to the death of around 8,961 people. As there is no vaccine or specific antiviral medicine to treat COVID-19 yet, countries have been grappling with all possible mechanisms to contain its scope. So far, China, South Korea, Italy, and Iran have witnessed the most number of confirmed cases of the Novel Coronavirus.

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READ | Uttar Pradesh Government Suspends Ganga Arti In Varanasi Amid Coronavirus Outbreak