Maharashtra's Siddhivinayak temple to reopen from Oct 7; Here are the COVID guidelines

In view of the upcoming Navratri festival, Mumbai's famous Siddhivinayak Temple along with other temples will reopen from tomorrow, October 7 as was earlier announced by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Speaking about the state's coronavirus situation, CM Thakeray had said that all COVID-19 protocols will be followed after the state lifts lockdown measures.

A statement was also issued by the Chief Minister's office informing that preparations had been made to tackle a possible third wave after successfully fighting off a second wave. The state government is lifting lockdown restrictions at a slow pace as there is a decline in the number of COVID-19 cases. However, COVID-19 protocols like the use of masks, social distancing, and sanitisation will be mandatory at all places. 

On the other hand, Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple will also reopen from tomorrow, following COVID-19 guidelines. As per that, the Shree Siddhivinayak Ganapati Temple has issued a list of guidelines that is to be followed by the devotees during their visit. 

Guidelines for devotees in Siddhivinayak Temple

The temple administration issued certain guidelines which say that devotees will be allowed through pre-booking QR codes which are to be obtained from the Temple Trust's application. According to that, only 250 devotees are will be allowed QR codes every one hour for the darshan. 

The application specially designed for visitors is available for both IOS and Android smartphones. For booking a slot, the visitor must generate a QR code at 12:00 pm every Thursday and this code will be mandated at the entry point of the temple. 

The temple will remain open from 7 am to 7 pm. The devotees will need to maintain all COVID-19 protocols inside the temple premises. Along with that, no flowers or offerings will be allowed in the temple. 

Other temples in Maharashtra to reopen

Apart from the iconic Siddhivinayak temple, Maharashtra's Shirdi Sai Baba, Shani Shingnapur Temple, Mumba Devi Temple, and many others will always also open from tomorrow. These temples have also announced guidelines for the devotees. 

On Tuesday, Maharashtra recorded 2,401 fresh coronavirus cases followed by 39 deaths and 2,840 recoveries. 

(With agency inputs, Image: @ShreeSiddhivinayakTemple/Facebook)