Amritsar,
The verdict on Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh had a mild impact in this part of the region though it did bring down the pilgrim count at the Golden Temple considerably.

The Retreat ceremony, however, witnessed the routine turnout of spectators which ranges between 12,000 and 15,000, said a senior BSF official.

There has been a decrease of at least 70 per cent of the footfall at the Golden Temple, said Roop Singh, SGPC general secretary.

On an average, between 80,000 to 90,000 devotees visit the Sikh shrine daily. During festivals like Diwali, birth anniversaries of Sikh Gurus and other important events and holidays, the pilgrim count varies between 3 to 4 lakh.

As an exception, the “Darshani Deodi” (entrance of the sanctum sanctorum), which normally is jam-packed with pilgrims in queue, and the “parikarma” wore a deserted look.

Golden Temple manager Sulakhan Singh said the major reason for low footfall on Friday was the disruption of transport system.

“The footfall was at least 50 per cent lesser today. As far as langar is concerned, the preparation is a continuous process and is monitored three times in a day. The quantum of food material can be estimated beforehand depending on the turnout of devotees,” he said.