Temples across the State witnessed massive crowds on Thursday as the government permitted to open doors of religious places after more than a year.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his wife Rashmi Thackeray prayed at Mumbai’s Mumba Devi Temple and appealed to devotees to follow Covid-19 norms, while other Ministers visited various temples across the State. Though the government has directed temples and other religious places to allow limited numbers of devotees to enter the premises, a huge crowd of devotees gathered in Kolhapur, Tuljapur, Shirdi and other places as the Navratri festival started today.
“We have instructed temple authorities to ensure social distancing and use sanitizers. Everyone should follow Covid-19 norms and go for online booking before visiting temples” said State Health Minister Rajesh Tope.
The government has issued guidelines that ban the distribution of 'prasad' (offerings)and a sprinkling of Holy water. Face masks are mandatory while visiting religious places. The government has appealed that children below 10 years of age, senior citizens, and pregnant women should avoid visiting religious places.
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