'Ye kudrati aafat hai, prayers can't be stopped'; Somnath Temple remains open amid cyclone VAYU alert

Ahmedabad, June 13: The speculative threat of Cyclone Vayu hitting Gujarat may have receded with the storm changing course overnight, but as the state is prepared for the worst and have evacuated over three lakh people, it strongly refuses to shut the Somnath Temple.

 

Bhupendrasinh Chudasma, Gujarat’s Education Minister, said that the famous temple in Saurashtra would remain open as aarti and prayers being performed since many years could not be stopped.

 

 

Remaining wide open despite of alert issued in view stormy winds, the minister said, “Ye kudrati aafat hai..! This is a natural disaster, only nature can stop it, who are we to stop nature.”

“Temples can't be closed. We have requested tourists not to visit, but aarti being performed since many years can't be stopped.”, he added firmly ignoring the fact that the shed at the entrance of the temple in Gir Somnath district falls damaged due to strong winds.

 

According to the IMD the sea condition is phenomenal over east-central and adjoining northeast to the Arabian Sea. “The cyclone won't hit Gujarat, but will have effect on coastal districts. However, it may affect the coast between 13-15 June”, it said.