AURANGABAD/NASHIK: The government decision to open places of worship from October 7, when the Navaratra festival begins, has prompted trustees of the three-and-half Shakti Pithas in Maharashtra to draw up elaborate plans to control the crowd and adhere to Covid-appropriate behaviour.
The Renukamata temple at Mahur in Nanded district and Tuljabhavani temple at Tuljapur of Osmanabad district, along with the Mahalaxmi temple in Kolhapur and Saptashrungi temple at Wani in Nashik district are together worshipped as three-and-half Shakti Pithas in Maharashtra. These places of worship are opening after a long gap.
Tuljapur tehsildar Saudagar Tandale, who is an ex-officio trustee at Tuljabhavani temple, on Monday said only around 30,000 to 50,000 devotees will be permitted inside the shrine during the nine-day festival.
“We have increased the number of entry points of the temple from two to four. Entry of devotees into the sanctum sanctorum will be prohibited and every devotee will have to wear a face-mask while entering into the temple premises,” he said.
Chandrakant Bhopi, trustee at Mahur temple, said the government’s standard operating procedure for reopening temples will be followed. “We have relatively lesser footfall of devotees as compared to Tuljapur and Kolhapur temples. Around 15,000 devotees visit during the festival and their movement will be regulated,” he said.
The Saptashrungi temple will not have its yatra as was conducted during pre-Covid times. Kalwan tehsildar Bandu Kapse said that the entry of the vehicles will be restricted at the foothills of the mountain that houses the temple. “We will allow a restricted number of people to go up to the temple based on registration only. The pass system will be announced later,” he said.
A meeting of the security agencies and the administration is slated on Wednesday, when more plans will be made. When the temples were opened for pilgrims in November 2020, at the most 340 people were allowed to be in the temple at a time.
