MAPUSA
Taking into account the spike in Covid cases, most temple managing committees in Mapusa have decided not to open temples for the public until October 31.
The executive committee members of all major temples of Mapusa held a review meeting on Thursday and decided to shut the doors to devotees until the situation improves.
Earlier, the managing committee members had unanimously decided to keep the doors of the temples closed until September 30.
“The committee members were of the opinion that the situation was not conducive to open temples for the public. The number of positive cases is rising in Mapusa and we thought it fit to keep the temples shut until October 31,” said Tushar Tople, convener of the meeting.
He said the committee members will meet again by the end of the month to review the situation and accordingly take the future course of action.
According to Tople, certain rituals will be performed without public participation.
Two major festivals -- nine-day Navrathra and Dussehra -- are held in this month. The Narathra festival begins on October 17 while Dussehra will be held on October 25.
In Mapusa, two temples organise the Navrathra festival “ Sateri Temple and Vitthal Rakhumai Temple.
“During the nine-day Navrathra festival, no cultural programmes will be held in the temples. Only rituals will be performed by the temple priest along with temple committee members and the day’s host with his family members,” Tople said.
He said bhajans and kirtans which were organised every year will not be held this year.
“For the last 90 years, the Vitthal Rakhumai Temple was holding kirtans during the Navratri. This year, it will not be held. The aim is not to allow a crowd to gather,” he said.
“The annual ‘palki’ procession organised by the Maruti temple has also been cancelled this year,” he added.
Presidents of Maruti Temple, Vitthal Rakhumai Temple, Shri Hanuman Maharudra Sanstha temple, Shri Ganesh temple at Ganeshpuri, Sateri Devi temple at Khorlim, Laxmi Narayan Temple, Mapusa, Shri Datta temple, Shri Ganesh Temple at Ganeshpuri and Ghateshwar temple at Khorlim attended the meeting.
