E-Paper
Temples decked up for Navratri, devotees queue up for ‘darshan’
Prominent temples had already mandated that following Covid protocol was a must for devotees wishing for darshan and puja during Navratri.
Lucknow As the Shardiya Navratri began on Thursday, temples all over the city were decked up, with special kirtans, bhajans and Durga Saptashati recital underway.
Special prayers for the elimination of corona were also held in several temples.
Prominent temples had already mandated that following Covid protocol was a must for devotees wishing for darshan and puja. Devotees thronged Chowk’s Badi Kali Ji temple , Sandohan Devi temple, Durga Mandir, Khajua, Chandrika Devi temple and Kali Badi but were allowed inside in limited numbers by the volunteers of the temples. Many of these temples had made arrangements for live streaming of ‘aarti’ via social media.
Volunteers were seen requesting people to watch ‘aarti; and other programmes on web.
No devotee was allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum of Kaliji temple in Chowk, Chandrika Devi Temple in Bakshi Ka Talab, Sandohan Devi temple in Chaupatian and Kali Badi in Ghasiyari Mandi, Kaiserbagh .
Only five devotees at a time were allowed to enter the temple after thermal screening and use of sanitizer at Chandrika Devi Temple in Bakshi Ka Talab. . Annual ‘Navratri Mela’ and ‘kanya bhojan’ were cancelled to check overcrowding.
Kalash Yatra
A Kalash Yatra was taken out from Siddhwashwar Dham Tapasi Baba Ashram, which covered areas around Faridi Nagar before culminating at the Ashram. Former PWD minister and president of Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party Shivpal Yadav visited the ashram and performed puja of Goddess Durga. Priest of the temple Neeraj Yadav blessed Shivpal Yadav on the occasion.
