Temples gear up to welcome devotees from tomorrow in Chennai & neigbouring dists

Chennai, June 27 (UNI) As the Tamil Nadu government announced
additional relaxations, while extending the COVID lockdown by
yet another week till July five, about 3,000 temples in Chennai
and its three neighboring districts are gearing up to welcome
devotees from tomorrow.
Chief Minister M K Stalin, while announcing extending the lockdown
from tomorrow for one more week, said temples, churches, mosques
and places of worship would be allowed to open for public by following
the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Temple and all places of worship were closed since May ten when
the State government announced total and complete lockdown to
control the spread of coronavirus and has been extending it by one
week with more relaxations for the last two weeks.
The state government has classified 38 districts in the state
into three Types. The first type comprises of 11 districts were
the infection rate was higher and some relaxations were allowed,
though public and private transport services were banned and
temples would continue to remain shut.
The Type-2 comprises 23 districts, were additional relaxations
were announced, including operating of public transport services,
and long distance State Express Transport Corporation (SETC)
services from tomorrow, but temples were not allowed to open.
In Type-3, comprising Chennai and its three neighboring districts
of Tiruvallur, Chengalpet and Kancheepuram, where the daily COVID
caseload has come down drastically, public transport services were
being operated since last week.
As part of further relaxations in lockdown conditions, the state
government announced public entry in temples, mosques and
Churches from tomorrow following which around 3,000 temples
in and around Chennai will be reopened from tomorrow.
Temple authorities in the four districts have started cleaning and
sanitizing operations to welcome the devotees.
Barricades were placed in temples to restrict the movement of
devotees in the temples.
Official sources said the same set of protocols announced last
time would be followed from tomorrow.
Devotees will not be allowed to prostrate or sit down inside
the prakarams or touch idols on the walls or ring bells. Special
prayers (‘archanai’), functions and consecration will not be
allowed.
People above 60 years of age, those with co-morbities, children
below 10 years and pregnant women will not be allowed entry.
Meanwhile, State transport corporations in 23 districts too were
gearing up to resume intra, inter-district and long distance bus
services after a gap of more than one-and-a-half month.
All the buses are being sanitised by spraying disinfectants and
the air pressure in the tyres are being checked.