Lingaraj Temple To Reopen From September 1; Know Who Are Barred From Entering The Shrine

Bhubaneswar: With Lingaraj Temple reopening for devotees from September 1, the temple trust on Friday said that it had adopted the guidelines issued by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation in view of COVID-19.

According to the guidelines, devotees will not be allowed to enter the sanctum sanctorum and can have darshan of Lord Lingaraj from Ada Katha (wooden wall inside the temple) and it is mandatory for them to produce certificates either on paper or mobile phone at the entrance to the 11th-century shrine.

A maximum number of 100 devotees can go from the Lion’s Gate to Ada Katha to offer prayer to Lord Lingaraj at a time. They are also not allowed to carry any offerings to the temple. Gathering of more than 25 people will not be allowed in the temple.

Every devotee has to wear a mask and line up in the barricade put up by the BMC to maintain a social distance of 6 feet from each other, which will be monitored by the temple authorities. Spitting pan, tobacco in and outside the temple is prohibited.

The guidelines further said that mask, RT-PCR negative report and vaccination certificate is mandatory for servitors performing rituals at the temple. 

The temple authorities have been asked to provide hand sanitiser to devotees at the entry and exit. Thermal screening of devotees will be conducted at the Lion’s Gate of the temple.

People with symptoms such as SARI or ILI cannot enter the temple. Elderly, pregnant women and children and those who have tested positive for the deadly disease are barred from entering the premises.

The order to reopen the temple will be revoked at any time by the BMC if the guidelines are not followed properly, it added.