With Navratri around the corner, the district administration has issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) to prevent the spread of coronavirus during the nine-day festivities.
As per these SOPs, it will be mandatory for all the devotees visiting temples to download Arogya Setu App in their mobile phones. They will be thermally scanned at the entrance of temples. Any person having fever or flu-like symptoms will be kept in the isolation room within the temple premises and tested for Covid-19. If found infected, the devotee will be sent to a quarantine centre. Children below 10 years of age, senior citizens, pregnant women and patients suffering from various diseases are advised to avoid visiting temples.
Shimla deputy commissioner Amit Kashyap said online aarti arrangements will be made for the convenience of devotees. If senior citizens want to visit the temple, they can come early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid crowds.
He said that temples committees should ensure that their premises are sanitised four times a day — twice in the morning and evening.
“All the shops near Jakhu, Tara Devi, Sankatmochan and Kalibari temples will remain closed during this period,” he added.
Offering prasad, touching idols prohibited
To ensure social distancing, cirlces will be marked inside and outside the temple premises. Offering any kind of prasad and chunni in the temple, touching the idols, applying tilak, hawans, mundan and kanya pujan will be prohibited. Special arrangements will be made by the temple administration for the entry and exit of devotees. Social distance and masks will be mandatory.
Kashyap said that temple committees should make arrangements in advance for storing devotees’ shoes. Donations in temples should be monitored by CCTV cameras which would be opened after three days as per the SOP. Cash counting and packing of bundles would be done under special sanitisation arrangements. He instructed the operators to arrange additional donation boxes so that there is no inconvenience.
{{/usCountry}}Kashyap said that temple committees should make arrangements in advance for storing devotees’ shoes. Donations in temples should be monitored by CCTV cameras which would be opened after three days as per the SOP. Cash counting and packing of bundles would be done under special sanitisation arrangements. He instructed the operators to arrange additional donation boxes so that there is no inconvenience.
{{/usCountry}}He has directed all sub-divisional officers and temple trustees of the district to provide information about the measures to prevent Covid-19 by installing hoardings, distributing pamphlets and other public information around the temple. He said it would be mandatory to mark information on the temple surroundings.
Buses to be sanitised four times a day
The DC informed that during Navratri, the buses of Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) will come from the bus stand and Anandpur bifurcation to the temple. Parking for the temple will be arranged on Anandpur road. He said the buses going to the temple would be sanitised four times a day and also instructed the concerned officials to prevent crowding in buses.
He informed that during Navratri, temple committees will make arrangements for food and beverages for the police, HRTC and other employees who will be on duty at the premises.
The DC said during this period, the closing time of temples will be extended by one hour to avoid any kind of congestion. He also ordered all the sub-divisional officers to issue necessary instructions regarding the compliance of special standard operations at all the temples of the district.