India, March 20 -- The Gangotri highway in Uttarkashi district was temporarily closed due to heavy snowfall between Sukki Top and Gangotri Dham, officials said, adding that widespread rainfall also lashed several parts of Uttarakhand on Friday.

According to officials, heavy rain was recorded across at least seven districts,Dehradun, Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Bageshwar, Champawat and Pithoragarh,while areas above 3,000 metres witnessed moderate to heavy snowfall accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph.

The higher Himalayan shrines, including Badrinath Dham, Kedarnath Dham and Gangotri Dham, along with Kharsali on the Yamunotri route, received heavy snowfall. Lower regions, meanwhile, experienced intense spells of...