Places of worship reopen in Maharashtra

In Maharashtra, religious places reopened on Monday after eight months of closure due to strict Covid-19 pandemic protocols. Maharashtra was one of the last states in the country to allow religious places to reopen as part of Unlock 5.0 guidelines. Devotees will have to follow all the Covid-19 guidelines strictly. As per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) laid down by the Maharashtra government, religious places located in the containment zones have not been allowed to open.

Only asymptomatic people will be allowed inside places of worship, and they will have to enter in a staggered manner. Wearing a face mask is mandatory and the visitors are required to strictly follow the social distancing norms. The state government has also asked the management of these places to conduct thermal scanning and provide visitors with hand wash facility or sanitiser. Touching statues, holy books and idols is prohibited under the guidelines. Also, only recorded devotional music will be played. Choir or singing groups are not allowed.

Since morning many devotees visited the famous Siddhivinayak temple. The devotees are following strict social distancing. All the devotees were wearing masks as well.The famous Haji Ali Dargah in Mumbai also reopened  and strict social distancing measures were in place. The Mahim Dargah also reopened in Mumbai following the state government’s permission to open religious places.

The famous Sabarimala temple in Kerala also reopened on Sunday evening for the annual two-month long Mandala-Makaravillakku season. Strict Covid-19 protocols are in place. There would be an online booking system for devotees to book slots for offering prayers. Each day, 1,000 pilgrims, who have booked through the virtual queue system,