BHUBANESWAR: The Maha Shivaratri festival will be a sombre affair this year with the government imposing restrictions on gatherings at temples across the State in view of the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic.No congregation or large gatherings will be allowed inside or outside the temples on the occasion of Shivaratri on March 11, the State government stated in a notification issued on Tuesday.
Every year, lakhs of devotees congregate at Shiva temples to observe fast and rituals on the day but as has been the case with all other festivals since a year, there will be no mass gathering on the day. Chief Secretary Suresh Kumar Mohapatra said that celebration of Maha Shivaratri and its related rituals will be allowed on March 11. However, the district collectors and municipal commissioners have been asked to restrict congregations and gatherings to such numbers as may be appropriate in view of the prevailing pandemic by considering the local situation and circulation space available within the temples.
Devotees will have to enter the temple premises by strictly adhering to the Covid-19 safety protocols. The order said mela/congregations outside and within the temple premises will also have to be reasonably restricted to avoid mass gatherings and crowding. The government warned that any person found violating the order will be punishable under provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and other relevant laws.
The State government had earlier in the guidelines issued for March, 2021, had specifically directed that large gatherings will continue to be prohibited. The guidelines said that all social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural and religious functions will be allowed with a ceiling of 500 persons with strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols.