RAJKOT: Gir Somnath district administration has issued a notification banning people from taking bath or entering sea near Somnath temple in Gir-Somnath district to avoid any untowardly accidents. Somnath temple is a popular pilgrim destination and is visited by thousands of devotees from across the country throughout the year.
A notification issued by the Gir-Somnath district administration states, “Pilgrims coming from different parts of the country are not well aware of the geographical condition near the seashore. In the past, accidents where pilgrims have drowned in the sea have been reported.”
“The seashore seems shallow but a little further inside there are rocky stones. So, people venturing into the water to bathe cannot come out easily.”
The notification stated that the undercurrent in the sea was very strong. “There have been incidents of people committing suicide in this sea with the belief that their soul will be liberated,” the notification reads.
District collector Ajya Prakash and additional collector H R Modi could not be reached for comments on the notification. But sources alleged that there were no signboards instructing pilgrims not to go towards the seashore and there were no instructions for pilgrims to remain careful while in seawater. Officers publish notifications in the paper only to wash their hands off any responsibility.”