Hyderabad: Temples to tweak darshan facilities

Hyderabad: Just like any other establishments, temples across the state are re-working and bringing in changes in the function and procedures to ensure that social distancing is properly maintained once they reopen after a closure for about 60 days following national lockdown due to coronavirus. Just as the Tirumala-Tirupati Devasthanams has decided to strictly regulate the flow of devotees, the temples in the state have decided to regulate the number of devotees visiting the temple and in order to avoid direct contact, they have also decided not to offer teertham and prasadam to the devotees.

According to sources, the temples would be starting with only darshan facility for the devotees. There will be no Arjita Sevas like Kalyanam and others in major temples. Devotees would be allowed to have only darshan of lord in a regulated manner. Only fixed number of devotees will be permitted to have darshan every day.

While awaiting for detailed guidelines from the government, temple authorities are taking up markings in the queue lines for the darshan to maintain physical distancing. The temple authorities have decided that no devotee without a mask will be allowed. The devotees would be provided with sanitizers at the entry points in the temple. Sanitization of the temple would be taken up every day. 

The temple authorities in Yadagiri Narasimha Swamy temple in Yadadri said that they would take a call on limiting the number of devotees. Temple EO N Geetha Reddy told The Hans India that generally during the month of May and June the temple gets a large number of devotees. "Every day during this period, about 25,000 devotees visit the temple. It has been decided to fix time slots for devotees, she said. Similarly, Executive Officer of Raja Rajeshwara Swamy temple in Vemulawada M Krishnaveni said that 200 devotees per hour would be permitted to have a darshan. However, in this temple, according to her, prasadam would be provided to the devotees at the exit point of the temple. Meanwhile, the Chilkur Balaji Temple Board said they will not open the temple from June 8 and devotees will have to wait for some more time to have a darshan of Lord Balaji.