Thousands of women on Thursday congregated at Indupur-based Maa Chandi Dei temple to observe rituals and offered cakes (manda pitha) to the deity. Ironically, no steps were taken by the district administration to restrict such a large gathering of woman in view of the spike in Covid 19 positive cases.
Earlier, district Collector of Kendrapada Amrit Ruturaj had imposed a prohibition throughout the district on religious congregation and observance of rituals by mass gathering.
Gathering within the temple premises and at the entry points has been restricted such that it is limited to 50 people at any point of time subject to occupation of 50 percent of floor space in closed spaces and observance of physical distancing in open spaces. However, most of the devotees were found performing the puja in and outside the Chandi Dei temple by violating the Covid norms of mask wearing and social distancing. Intellectual masses alleged that the district administration and police department were aware about the event but they did not take any preventive steps. When contacted, SDM –cum-Sub Collector Niranjan Behera and SP, Madkar Sandeep Sampat, informed that they had no prior information about the event.
However, when the matter came to their notice, they took steps by directing the Nikirai police to disperse the gathering, they told.
“The IIC of Nikirai police station has been asked to ensure only limited number of servitors in and outside the temple to perform the rituals on coming Thursdays. If the direction is violated, then strict action would be taken, said Sub Collector Behera.