BHUBANESWAR: Sahana Mela and Garvagruha darshan in the Lingaraj temple will be completely banned till December 31 even after the opening of the shrine on December 27. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), which issued guidelines for re-opening of the temple after a nine-month-long closure, maintained that at one point of time maximum 500 devotees will be allowed from Singhadwara to Ada Katha till December 31. Only sevayats and their families will be permitted to enter the temple with strict observance of Covid-19 safety protocols.
The temple will remain closed for two days on January 1 and 2 even for the sevayats. However, the daily rituals will be observed as usual. It will be opened exclusively for residents of Bhubaneswar from January 3. Tourists and devotees from other parts of the State and country will be allowed inside from January 6 onwards.The BMC will do the necessary barricading outside the temple and handover the duty of controlling and restricting public movement to police.
Thermal screening centre and antigen test centre near the temple will be made functional from January 3 to 15 in two batches from 7 am to 10 pm. Antigen test is mandatory for sevayats, police personnel on duty, flower sellers and Samarth sevaks.The guidelines maintained that persons with SARI/ILI like symptoms will not be allowed inside the temple. Other vulnerable group of people such as persons with comorbidities, elderly people, pregnant women and children below 10 years of age will also not be allowed. Spitting inside and outside the premises, chewing of pan and gutka is strictly prohibited.
Persons who have returned from overseas will have to abide by the protocols for quarantine/isolation issued by the Centre and State government before visiting the temple.Lingaraj temple apart, all other religious institutions under the jurisdiction of BMC will also reopen from January 3 with strict observance of safety protocols which include wearing of masks, maintaining social distancing and hand washing.
The local committees of religious institutions will have to submit an undertaking to the BMC regarding opening of their religious places and maximum number of devotees who will remain present at one point of time by following social distancing norm of six feet according to their capacity. Suvendu Kumar Sahu, deputy commissioner of BMC will be the key contact and nodal officer in this regard. Basing on the undertaking, the BMC will issue an order regarding the maximum ceiling of devotees who will congregate.
The churches will open for a day in view of Christmas celebrations on December 25 by submitting an undertaking to the BMC authorities regarding the number of worshippers who can be accommodated by following social distancing of six feet. The BMC will issue an order regarding the maximum number of worshippers who can congregate at one point of time.
LINGARAJ NORMS
No Sahana Mela till Dec 31
No one to be allowed on January 1 and 2, rituals to continue
Locals to be allowed from Jan 3, tourists from Jan 6
Spitting, chewing of gutka in and outside temple prohibited