No offerings, no prasad, strict social distancing in queues: Pune’s temples ready to re-open on Monday, Diwali Padwa

PUNE Temples in the city will open from Monday, November 16, and have begun preparing for the same, taking all precautionary measures as per the Covid-19 protocols,

PUNE Temples in the city will open from Monday, November 16, and have begun preparing for the same, taking all precautionary measures as per the Covid-19 protocols, to allow devotees to enter on what is marked as the “Diwali Padwa” day.

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For Punekars, Diwali Padwa is as special as the “deepotsav” (lighting of diyas) programme. One of the major attractions during deepotsav is Sarasbaug garden, where thousands of citizens come in early in the morning on Diwali Padwa.

“We have started our preparations for opening of the temple from Monday as per guidelines given by the state government for Covid measures. We are not going to allow people to do “pradakshina”, to offer any kind of personal belongings, prasad or garlands. Also, no prasad will be given. They just need to come in a queue, maintaining social distancing, and take the darshan and go out of the temple premises. Only for tomorrow, temple timings will be 5am to 12 noon and 4pm to 9 pm, as it is Diwali Padwa. For other days it will be 8pm to 12noon and 4pm to 8pm,” said Sarasbaug temple’s head trustee Sudhir Pandit.

Similarly, other prominent temples in the city are also gearing up to open. Advocate Pratap Pardeshi, trustee of the Mahalaxmi Temple Trust, said, “We have made special security arrangements at the temple for darshan and barricading has been done accordingly to maintain social distancing in the queue. The temple is going to open on Monday with a Mahabhishek puja at the hands of Covid warriors. We appeal to the public not to bring any kind of offerings to as it will be not allowed inside the temple.”