After a closure of more than two months, all Muzrai temples in Karnataka are set to reopen from June 1, after the scheduled end of Lockdown 4.0.
A meeting, chaired by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa on Tuesday, took a decision to reopen nearly 35,000 Muzrai temples managed by the government from next month.
Devotees will be allowed inside temples but social distancing norms are to be followed. Festivals and programmes will not be allowed.
It was also decided that Saptapadi, a mass marriage scheme in selected ‘A’ grade temples of the Muzrai Department, will be held in a phased manner in June and July. Earlier, the mass marriages were scheduled on April 26 and May 24.
The Chief Minister also launched online booking of puja services offered at 50 ‘A’ grade temples. Some temples have made arrangements for live streaming of pujas and other rituals and delivery of ‘prasada’ and ‘theertha’ to devotees through India Post.
The administration of all major temples, including Kollur Mookambika Temple in Udupi, Banashankari Temple in Bengaluru, Nanjundeshwara Temple in Nanjangud, Chamundeshwari Temple in Mysuru, and Kukke Subramanya Temple in Dakshina Kannada, have been told to set up web cameras to help devotees participate.
Sources in the Muzrai Department said the department will frame rules for social distancing to be maintained in temples. It will also make arrangements for purchase of gold and other materials for conduct of mass marriages in temples in the next two months.
The Chief Minister also reviewed various budgetary schemes of the Muzrai Department during 2020-21and instructed officials of the department to take up construction of a guest house at Tirumala at an estimated cost of ₹200 crore.
Mr. Yediyurappa also reviewed the progress of the Revenue Department and ordered sanctioning of ₹100 crore for the construction of a Anubhava Mantap. It was decided to set up land tribunals in 164 taluks.
