Devotees throng shrines after over 2 months

New Delhi: Religious places in Delhi opened after two-and-a-half months on Monday with devotees trickling in to offer prayers following the social distancing and sanitisation measures put in place by the management committees of the temples and shrines.

Religious places were closed in Delhi on March 23, two days ahead of the nationwide lockdown imposed to check the spread of coronavirus. The famous Chhatarpur temple complex opened around 8.45 am with nearly 300 devotees visiting in the first hour, the temple authorities said.

Sikh devotees were seen at prominent gurdwaras such as Bangla Sahib, Sis Ganj and Rakabganj. They paid obeisance to Guru Granth Sahib following social distancing and sanitisation norms. Sanitisation tunnels have been set up at major gurdwaras and social distancing is being enforced by ensuring that people do not stay longer inside the sanctum sanctorum of the shrines, said Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) chairman Manjinder Singh Sirsa. -- PTI

Even as the number of Covid-19 cases is rising not just in Kerala, but across the country, taking cue of the lockdown norms that have been eased, temples are now being cleaned to open from Tuesday, but churches and mosques differ.

According to the new norms, all places of worship have been given the permission to re-open from Tuesday, after ensuring that the entire place is sanitised.

The rules allow that none above aged 65 and below 10 years of age should be allowed entry. N. Vasu, president of the Travancore Devasom Board - the body that owns 1,248 temples in the southern districts of the state said they will open all their temples to the devotees starting Tuesday.