Srikakulam: Ban on darshanams hit petty vendors

Srikakulam: Hundreds of petty vendors in temples in the district are losing their livelihood as the temples banned darshans in the wake of coronavirus scare. Devotees' movement has come down at all noted temples for the last one week in the wake of corona pandemic. Darshanams

completely banned at Sun God temple in Arasavalli, Sri Mukhalingeswara temple at Sri Mukha Lingam, Kurmanadha temple at Sri Kurmam, Umarudra Koteswara temple in Srikakulam till March 31. With an aim to avoid physical contact among devotees', the endowment officials announced ban on darshanams at all these historical temples to prevent spread of coronavirus.

The petty vendors used to sell coconuts, bananas and other puja material to devotees on the temple premises. At each temple over 100 vendors' families are earning their livelihood by doing petty business. The coronavirus has badly affected their earnings. "Every day we are used to earn about Rs 1,000 by selling puja material to the devotees but for the last one week we have no business due to dip in number of devotees for having darshan of temple shrines," said A V Ramana and his wife Damayanthi, petty vendors at Sun God temple to The Hans India."This is the first occasion as the historical temples are closed due to health aspect which is not a good sign and we have to adopt good health habits and it is a warning for human beings for their excess acts," priests at Sun God, Mukhalingeswara and Kurmnadha temples, I Sankara Sharma, B Subba Rao, S R N Aacharyulu opined. In addition to these petty vendors, owners of small hotels also losing their earnings due to dip in devotees' influx at the temples.