Bhubaneswar: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has implicated certain mandatory rules for the devotees to enter inside the temples after one day of the reopening of the religious shrines. The BMC has made the covid vaccination certificate compulsory for all people who want to enter into the premises of the temple.
As per the BMC sources, this guideline has been enforced because of the pandemic situation prevailing in the state. The capital city is declared to be hundred percent vaccinated, the people visiting the religious places are to produce either hard copy or soft copy of their vaccination certificate.
The religious shrines that violate this guideline will be barred from functioning. To make these rules followed by the institutions the BMC enforcement team will frequently inspect the shrines.
There were less devotees on the opening day on the temples in Bhubaneswar whereas Lingaraj Temple and ISKCON temple are going to reopen on 1 September.
The guidelines state, the devotee won’t be allowed to enter into the Garva Griha of the temple. Offering of diyas and bhogs will be prohibited. Hundred devotees will be allowed inside the Lingaraj Temple, for darshan at a time.
The authorities of the religious institution are directed to maintain a six feet social distancing among the devotees and wear masks mandatorily. The guidelines furthers states, more than 25 people are not allowed to gather in any religious places like temple, church, mosque and gurudwara.
The guidelines for the temple priests or other religious authorities are also mandatory to adhere. RT-PCR tests of all the priests and sebayats have to be conducted those having RT-PCR negative and final COVID vaccination certificate will be allowed to perform rituals. Wearing mask is also a must for priests or sebayats.
There has to be proper facilities of sanitation and hand washing for the devotees at the entry and exit of the shrine. Chewing of paan or gutka, spitting either inside or outside of the temple is strictly restricted.
-OdishaAge
