The closure of Global Vipassana Pagoda at Gorai between December 5 and 7 has been ordered by the Municipal authorities in Mumbai in light of the Covid-19 pandemic and the new variant-Omicron.
A large number of followers of Dr B R Ambedkar who visit his memorial at Dadar in Mumbai on his death anniversary on December 6, also visit the Pagoda which is a monument and meditation centre built as a tribute to Lord Gautama Buddha near Gorai beach.
An appeal not to visit the Global Pagoda on Mahaparinirvana Day has been made by the Global Pagoda Representative and Municipal Deputy Commissioner. This year due to the pandemic, the global pagoda will be closed from 5th December to 7th December.
BMC officials said the decision to close the memorial was taken at a meeting of police, ward officials, and the Pagoda’s management on Friday.
The BMC has said the annual event to pay homage to Dr Ambedkar will be organised virtually.
The program will be broadcast live by the Government on Mahaparinirvana Day from 7.45 am to 10 am on the Doordarshan Sahyadri channel. After that, it will be telecast live for every ten minutes at 9.50 am, 10.50 am, 11.50 am and 12.50 pm, according to Doordarshan's Mumbai Kendra.
