Temples across the State are set to reopen for devotees from Tuesday after a gap of three months even as transmission abates but a third wave of Covid-19 looms large.The Samaleswari temple in Sambalpur is all set to greet the devotees. The decision to reopen shrines in the district was taken in a meeting convened by the district administration and standard operating procedure (SOP) issued to temple boards in this regard.
The Samaleswari shrine has remained closed since May 5 when the second wave of the pandemic was at its peak. President of Samaleswari Temple Trust Board Sanjaya Baboo said devotees can visit the temple from 6 am to 11.30 am and 3 pm to 7.30 pm. The closure time of the shrine in the afternoon will be utilised to sanitise its premises. The temple will remain closed on Mondays. Baboo said separate entry and exit points for devotees have been designated. Devotees can enter the shrine from gate no 3 on its back side and exit from gate no 2.
The temple trust has barricaded the entry point to ensure the visitors maintain social distancing while standing in queue. Similarly, guards will be deployed to check everyone is wearing masks and thermal screening and hand sanitisation conducted at the entry gate of the temple. “We have appealed people to avoid bringing kids below the age of 10 and persons over the age of 65 besides persons with co-morbidity and pregnant woman to the temple considering the Covid situation,” he added. This apart, devotees will not be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
In Koraput, the Sabara Srikhetra will reopen for devotees after a gap of almost 12 months during which the rituals were conducted by a few priests. While Covid protocols are required to be followed by devotees entering the shrine, the temple committee urged the administration to initiate action against violators. “We will ensure all Covid norms on the premises,” said temple committee head Gadadhar Parida.
Similarly, the temple of Goddess Biraja in Jajpur town, one of the famous Shakti shrines of Odisha, will reopen from Wednesday. Jajpur Collector Chakravarti Singh Rathore informed about the decision in a statement to the media on the day.
“All devotees are required to comply with the pandemic protocols like wearing of masks, maintaining social distancing and regular hand sanitisation while visiting the religious sites across the district. Tehsildars, IICs of police stations and trustee members of all major temples and religious organisations in the district have been asked to strictly enforce the Covid guidelines,” he said.
The announcement of the reopening decision for the temples was welcomed by the servitors of Biraja temple. Debi Prasad Pani, president of the Mukti Mandap Sevayat Parishad of the shrine said the reopening of the temple will end the agonising wait of devotees who have been deprived of Goddess Biraja’s darshan.