Long queues were seen outside the sanctum sanctorum on Baisakhi on Monday, even as curfew is in place to check covid-19. The number of devotees was larger than that seen at the holy place over the past few days.
At some points in the queue, SGPC staff found it difficult to ensure social distancing. People had lined up outside the Darshan Deori as well.
Two sanitisation tunnels set up
To sanitise devotees, tunnels were set up on the two entrances (the main one and the one from the serais) on Monday. SGPC-run Guru Ram Das Medical College, Amritsar, and Amritsar MP Gurjit Singh Aujla have funded the tunnels, a SGPC spokesperson said.
At the inauguration, SGPC senior vice-president Rajinder Singh Mehta said after screening for temperature and washing of hands, devotees would have to pass through the tunnels.
Talwandi Sabo wears deserted look
Bathinda Talwandi Sabo town on Monday wore a deserted look as devotees with devotees staying away from the Takht Damdama Sahib. Markets remained closed. Religious programmes were held inside the Takht to mark the day symbolically with social distancing implemented strictly.
Former Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh, 78, said, “This is the first Baisakhi when it is so deserted. People came to the at Takht even during times of militancy and in 1984. It is good that devotees understand the gravity of the situation,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Former Takht Damdama Sahib jathedar Balwant Singh Nandgarh, 78, said, “This is the first Baisakhi when it is so deserted. People came to the at Takht even during times of militancy and in 1984. It is good that devotees understand the gravity of the situation,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}CM prays, thanks people
In Chandigarh, Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh thanked the people of the state for responding to his appeal for ardas from their homes itself on Baisakhi. He also lauded the spirit of cooperation of people of the state.
Humanity should fight pandemic collectively: Akal Takht Jathedar
In his address, Akal Takht jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh said humanity should unite against the pandemic. He also called for strict punishment to perpetrators of the attack on cops in Patiala. “It is wrong to target the whole community for a particular incident. Culprits of attack on Punjab police cops in Patiala should be punished, but attempts are being made to target the whole Sikh community. Similarly, it is wrong to target Muslims, if some attendees of the Nizammudin congregation were found positive,” he said, adding that there should be uniformity in proving relief amid the lockdown.