Mussoorie, Oct. 11 -- The portals of the Sikh shrine Hemkunt Sahib and the historic Lokpal Lakshman temple, located 100 metres away, were ceremoniously closed for the winter on Saturday, marking the conclusion of the 2026 pilgrimage season, officials said. The Sikh shrine is situated at an altitude of over 15,000 feet. A 1,100-metre climb on a 6-km stone-paved path leads to the gurdwara. The shrine is inaccessible because of snow from October to April. The ceremony was held amid shabad-kirtan, prayers and chants of "Waheguru Ji". An Army band accompanied the religious procession as devotees gathered for the final ardas (prayer). Hemkunt Sahib Gurdwara Trust president NS Bindra said the pilgrimage recorded a turnout of over 384,500 devotees this year since the pilgrimage began on May 23, 139 days ago. "The highlight of the closing ceremony was the participation of a 40-member delegation of Sikh pilgrims from Pakistan," Bindra said. The closing rituals began early with the recitation of Sukhmani Sahib, followed by shabad-kirtan and other ceremonies. The final ardas was performed in the afternoon. The Hukamnama was then taken, and the Guru Granth Sahib was moved from the Diwan Hall to Sachkhand Sahib before the ceremony concluded. The high-altitude shrine's popularity has seen a significant uptick, with the number of pilgrims rising consistently over the years. Last year, around 270,000 lakh devotees visited Hemkunt Sahib. The 2024 pilgrimage season drew over 262,000 pilgrims. In 2023, the pilgrims were numbered at 240,000 after 247,000 in 2022. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the numbers dropped, with over 10,000 pilgrims in 2021 and around 8,500 in 2020. Before the pandemic, 240,000 pilgrims visited the shrine in 2019.HTC...