Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SHP)

Bengaluru, May 26: With more relaxations allowed under Lockdown 4.0, the Karnataka government hinted at the reopening of temples and other religious places of worship from June 1. The temples, therefore, allowed to reopen after the lockdown ends on May 31 are those coming under the Muzrai department. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the chief minister on Tuesday.

Speaking to the reporters, Muzrai minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said, "Movement of people on air and rail has started. We have been receiving repeated pleas from devotees that temples should be opened. When this was discussed with the CM during a review of the Muzrai department, it was decided that temples can start from June 1."

Poojary maintained that the temples will be allowed to carry all the day-to-day activities except conducting fairs and ceremonies. The places of religious worship will also be required to maintain social distancing and other health norms.

As per officials, the order will be applicable to mosques, churches and other places of religious worship as well. However, this decision will be subject to whether or not the Centre will allow places of religious worship to be open for the public after Lockdown 4.0. The religious places of worship were ordered to close down as a preventive measure for the COVID-19.

On the occasion, Yediyurappa also launched an app-based online booking of sevas that will be rolled out in 52 Muzrai temples from Wednesday. These include the Sri Mookambika Temple in Kollur, Kukke Sri Subramanya Temple, Renuka Yellamma Temple in Saundatti, Banashankari Temple and Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple in Bengaluru among others.

"With the help of the app the citizens can book a seva online. A few temples had this facility already. In the last one year, the Kukke Subramanya Temple had over 32,000 Sarpa Samskaras via online booking. In the Kollur temple, around 3,000 sevas were booked online. In the Chamundeshwari temple, sevas worth Rs 49 lac were booked online," Poojary said.

The government’s original plan was to also provide e-darshan and send prasadam through postal service. "No decision has been taken on live-streaming yet. The main temples of Kukke Subramanya and Kollur Mookambika are resisting going live. We will live-stream other temples, but after some time," a Muzrai official said. "We will look at sending prasadam in a week," he added.