With relaxations in the nationwide coronavirus-induced lockdown, religious places across the country are gearing up to reopen on June 8, while following the guidelines issued by union home ministry.
The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the ministry has emphasised on social distancing as a preventive measure to contain the spread of covid-19.
According to guidelines, all physical offerings like distribution of prasad or sprinkling of holy water etc. will not be permitted inside religious places. The arrangement has been done to sanitise devotees before entering into the site. It has been also ensured that devotees are following social distancing all the time.
Religious places including temples, gurudwaras, churches, and mosques in different parts of the country such as Delhi’s Sai temple at Lodhi Road and Jhandewalan temple, Mumbai’s Haji Ali Dargah, Mahim Dargah and Siddhivinayak Temple, Chennai’s RC Church, Panchkula’s Nada Sahib Gurudwara, and Bhopal’s Maa Vaishnavadham Nav Durga Temple, etc., are starting to sanitise within the premises of the religious sites to curb the spread of coronavirus.
The Delhi St. Thomas Church at Mandir Marg, is ready to reopen on June 8, following relaxations. Church administration says, “We will have to plan accordingly as social distancing needs to be maintained.” Mahant Jagannath Das of Hanuman Temple, in Delhi, said, “We’ll not allow entry of more than 5 to 10 devotees at a time. Each devotee will have to pass through the sanitisation tunnel installed at the entry gate.
‘Prasad’ will not be distributed by the priests.” The priest of the Durgiana temple situated in Amritsar, said, “Only regular devotees are coming for to the temple, and are maintaining a distance of more than 7 feet. The temple is being sanitised close to five times a day and the devotees are not being given offerings. We pray that the coronavirus eradicated as soon as possible.” The permission to reopen all religious places in the country from June 8 has been given.
