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Places of worship open to tentative response in Punjab, caution dominant sentiment
Footfall remained lower than the expectation of managements; the serving of ‘karah parsad’ and langar continued, defying government guidelines
Amritsar/Ludhiana Gathering at places of worship resumed, but with a tentative touch, in the state on Monday. At the Golden Temple, Amritsar, which had remained open even during the lockdown, following all mandated precautions, the footfall was not as per expectation, said an official of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), on the condition of anonymity.
The serving of ‘karah parsad’ and langar continued, defying government guidelines, with administrative officials evasive on the issue. Though no official count was kept, sources said around 30% of the normal footfall of around 1 lakh a day was witnessed during the day. Sukhbir Singh, manager of Golden Temple’s langar ghar, said the number of devotees was nearly double the figure seen during the lockdown. “During lockdown, there were two-three rows of devotees partaking of langar in the community kitchen. Today, up to five rows were filled at times,” he said, adding, “People are not coming out of homes due to covid-19.”
At Durgiana Temple, the footfall remained low. “The number is disappointing. We expected more,” said temple committee president Ramesh Sharma. Here too, parsad and langar was served in defiance of guidelines, with authorities claiming to follow extreme precaution.
Token system, distancing followed in Ludhiana
In place of ‘parsad’ and holy water (‘charanamrit’), priests were armed with sanitisers and infrared thermometers and blessed devotees from a distance in Ludhiana. At the majority of places, the sanctum sanctorum was locked to prevent people from touching idols or sacred books.
Circles were marked at Jama Masjid in Field Gunj to ensure social distancing. Shahi Imam Maulana Habib Ur Rehman Sani Ludhianvi said, “We have to maintain distancing today, so that we can embrace each other tomorrow.”
‘Karah parsad’ continued to be served in gurdwaras across the city. President of Dukh Niwaran Gurdwara near Jagraon Bridge in Field Gunj, Pritpal Singh Pali said, “We are following government guidelines, while maintaining the rehat maryada (religious code of conduct) of the Sikh faith. There is minimal human contact involved in preparing ‘karah parsad’. Those distributing ‘parsad’ are also wearing mask and gloves and using a ladle to serve.”
The management of Shri Durga Mata Mandir near Jagraon Bridge has introduced token system to limit entry to 20 devotees at a time. Sanjay Mahindru, general secretary of the temple trust, said, at least 250 devotees visited the temple on Monday. On a normal day, the number goes up to 5,000 and 15,000 on Tuesdays.
Most devotees bowed their heads on the main gates instead of going inside temples. Pouring of water or milk on ‘Shivlings’ was prohibited. Shri Nav Durga Mandir, Sarabha Nagar, saw only seven devotees from 6am to 8am. Devotees were not allowed to bring ‘parsad’, flowers and milk from outside, and entered empty-handed.
