Mumbai: Churches in
Mumbai are set to resume mass services starting tomorrow with government-prescribed guidelines after several months of shutdown due to the
COVID-19-19 pandemic.
Although the Maharashtra The government had allowed the reopening of religious sites as of November 16, churches in Mumbai remained closed to the public and only private prayers were allowed inside the church premises.
According to a statement from the Church Our Lady of Salvation in Dadar (W), face masks will be mandatory and social distancing will be maintained at all times.
Adults over 65, children under 10, and people with fever, cold, cough, and comorbidities will not be allowed inside the church facilities.
“The government suddenly announced the reopening of religious sites at a time when we were not prepared with the necessary infrastructure in terms of
COVID-19-19 precautions. So we took our time for all the necessary arrangements like pedal sanitizer dispensers, demarcation for social distancing and availability of replacement masks for visitors, “Father Nigel Barrett, spokesman for the Archbishop of Bombay, told ANI last week. pass.
All religious places of worship had been closed in the national confinement on March 25 as a preventive measure against the
COVID-19-19 pandemic.
There are currently 87,969 active
COVID-19-19 cases in Maharashtra, including 6,185 new cases that were reported on Friday. The total count in the state is now 18,08,550, including 16,72,627 recoveries and 46,898 deaths.
In photos: Maharashtra’s places of worship reopen for devotees after eight months
Temples reopen in Maharashtra
After an eight-month hiatus, places of worship reopened in Maharashtra on Monday with tiered entry for devotees. Mumbai Siddhivinayak, Mumba Devi, Haji Ali and Mahim Dargahs Temples, Pune Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple, Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, among many other renowned religious sites, opened their doors for devotees who came to the places. early in the morning to seek blessings for a new day. . The reopening coincides with Padwa or the new year during the Diwali celebrations. Photo by Satish Malavade / MMCL
POEs issued to ensure safety
On Sunday, temples, churches, mosques and other places of worship began preparations for the reopening by thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the doors and premises. The state government has established various guidelines for management, as well as for devotees, to ensure minimal risk of the spread of COVID-19. Protocols such as crowd control, physical distancing, use of masks, sanitation, among others, must be strictly adhered to. Touching idols and holy books, the physical offering of prasad, and sprinkling holy water will not be allowed. Photo by Satish Malavade / MMCL
Ready to deal with the rise of COVID-19
Maharashtra cabinet minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik said on Sunday that the state government is cautious about the increase in COVID-19 cases due to the reopening, but is ready to deal with it. . “After eight months, places of worship are going to reopen in Maharashtra, but we have also issued guidelines on social distancing and sanitation. Hopefully, people will follow. Maharashtra always has more cases, but the government has controlled it with My family “My Responsibility Campaign. Now if people do not follow the instruction, the cases may increase again, but we have improved our health infrastructure and we are prepared to face it, “he said. Photo by Satish Malavade / MMCL
Keeping faith in tough times
A Ram temple in Wadala and the 160-year-old Masjid-e-Iranian in Imamwada of Bhendi Bazar will be cleaned and disinfected on Sunday before its reopening. Among the other security measures to follow. Devotees will have to get their own prayer mats. Live choirs and singing groups will not be allowed; recorded devotional songs will be played. Photo by Satish Malavade / MMCL
Only 1000 devotees per day at Siddhivinayak temple
Only 1,000 devotees will be allowed into Mumbai ‘s famous Siddhivinayak Temple every day starting Monday in staggered slots to be booked through a mobile phone app, its president Aadesh Bandekar said on Sunday. The Siddhivinayak Temple Trust has prepared a mobile application through which devotees can book their appointments for darshan starting on Monday. Devotees will have to download the ‘Shri Siddhivinayak temple’ app on their mobile phones to reserve space for darshan. They will need to fill in their details and book an appointment, after which a QR code with a time slot will be generated. QR codes will be generated for 1000 people during the day. Photo by Shailesh Jadhav / BCCL
Additional police personnel to handle the crowd in Mumba Devi
Hemant Jadhav, manager of the Mumba Devi temple, said that devotees can visit the temple from 8:30 a.m. M. At 6 p. M. And only five people will be allowed darshan at a time. “Mumbai Police will deploy additional personnel to handle the crowd and the routes to the temple have been changed in view of the COVID-19 health protocols,” said Hemant Jadhav. He further said that special arrangements have been made to maintain social distancing and a hut has been set up to disinfect the devotees. Photo: ANI
Mahim Dargah opens its doors
Before the city’s famous Mahim Dargah opened its doors to devotees, the facilities were cleaned and disinfected by management at midnight. “After midnight, the doors of the Dargah Sharif were opened and administration officials entered the premises. After cleaning, the dargah will open for Namaz devotees early in the morning,” said Mahim Dargah Trustee Suhail And Khandwani. Photo by Shailesh Jadhav / BCCL
Prayers in times of coronavirus
Devotees offered their prayers at a mosque in Byculla when it reopened after eight months. People wearing masks were seen even while offering the Namaz. The state government has forbidden devotees to touch a common holy book and has asked them to bring their own prayer mats. Photo by Kaushik Naik / BCCL
A long wait
A devout Christian woman was seen wearing a mask and offering her prayers at a church in Mumbai. After CM Uddhav Thackeray announced the reopening of religious sites, several Church leaders exclaimed that they had been waiting for the announcement for a long time. They promised to adhere to the COVID-19 guidelines and ensured that people who visit the churches will also abide by them. AP Photo
Shirdi sees a thin crowd
The Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, which is usually seen full of people, only saw a handful of people on its first day after closing. Throughout the day the premises were cleaned and special care was taken to ensure social distancing in the temple. Photo: Twitter
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