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

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

Every evening, Ganga Aarti is performed at 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 form of a lit lamp, and in case of Ganges River, a small diya with a candle and flowers that are floated down river. offering is made to Goddess Ganga, also affectionately referred to as Maa Ganga, goddess of holiest river in India. 

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Coronavirus crisis in India

As of date, total number of positive cases in India has soared over 169, including foreign nationals. maximum cases of 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. 

Centre has “strongly advised” Indians to avoid all n-essential travel abroad. government is also monitoring all suspected cases and has issued preventive advisories. Earlier on Saturday, Central government decided to treat deadly virus as a "tified 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- vel Coronavirus has affected nearly 173 countries in world and one international conveyance--  Diamond Princess cruise ship harboured in Yokohama, Japan. Presently, re are around 219,087 confirmed cases of COVID-19 which has led to death of around 8,961 people. As re is 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 most number of confirmed cases of vel Coronavirus.

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