Haridwar, Sept. 8 -- The daily evening Ganga aarti at the sanctum sanctorum of Brahmakund, Har-ki-Pauri in Haridwar, was performed at Sunday noon instead of its traditional time owing to the lunar eclipse, people aware of the matter said, adding that a large number of devotees gathered at the ghats to witness the midday ritual. According to Ujjwal Pundit, a priest from Ganga Sabha, the aarti was held at 12:30pm. "The lunar eclipse was set to occur between 9:57pm and 12:23 am. However, the 'sootak' period, considered inauspicious for religious ceremonies, begins nine hours before the eclipse. Therefore, evening rituals could not be performed, and temples were closed till Monday morning," he said. Following the noon aarti, temples across Haridwar, including Mansa Devi, Chandi Devi, Sureshwari Devi, Dakshin Kali, Anjana Devi, Maya Devi, Vaishno Devi, Shakumbari Devi, Daksheshwar Mahadev, Bilkeshwar Mahadev, Daridra Bhanjan and Dukh Bhanjan, were shut for devotees. The portals of these shrines will reopen on Monday morning. The celestial event also coincided with the beginning of Shradh Paksha, which commenced on Poornima (Sunday) and will continue until Amavasya on September 16. Ritual offerings at Ganga ghats, temples, and particularly at Narayani Shila in Devpura, were carried out before noon. htc...