Hemkund Sahib closes for winter break

Hundreds of Sikh pilgrims today offered prayers at Hemkund Sahib as portals of the famous shrine in Garhwal Himalayas were closed for a winter break.
They had been reopened only 20 days back after a prolonged three-month suspension of the yatra to the shrine after the June calamity in Uttarakhand.
Its ceremonial closure during winter when the area remains snowbound is an annual feature.
Over 10,000 pilgrims paid obeisance at the temple after the recommencement of the yatra, Gurudwara Prabandhan Samiti officials said.