The Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar would reopen for devotees from September 1. In view of the prevailing pandemic, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday issued guidelines for the devotees and sevayats for entry into the temple.
The devotees can have darshan of the Lord from the Ada Katha (wooden wall in the temple). But it is mandatory to furnish proof of two doses of vaccination certificates either on paper or mobile phone at the entrance.
Entering into the sanctum sanctorum is strictly forbidden for devotees. A maximum number of 100 devotees can go from the Lion’s Gate to Ada Katha to offer prayers to the Lord at a time. The sevayats cannot accept any offerings from the devotees and the visitors would be allowed to have darshan only.
Each devotee would have to wear mask and queue up in the barricade put up by the BMC to maintain a social distance of six feet from each other, which would be monitored by the temple authorities. Only servitors with RT-PCR negative report along with certificates of double doses of vaccines would be allowed to perform rituals in the temple. In addition, wearing of mark is mandatory for them.
The temple authorities would arrange for the devotees to wash their hands and sanitise their hands at the entry and exit. Consuming pan, tobacco and spitting in and outside the temple is prohibited. People with symptoms such as SARI or ILI cannot enter the temple. Adults, pregnant women, and children under the age of 18 who have been diagnosed with the deadly disease have also been barred from entering. Gathering of more than 25 people would not be allowed in the temple.
Thermal screening of devotees would be done at the Lion’s Gate of the temple.The order to reopen the temple would be revoked at any time by the BMC if the guidelines are not followed properly, the BMC said.