Devotees rush to temples, but pray from outside

Shivamogga/ Chikkamagaluru: Devotees rushed to Kote Marikamba and Kote Sitaramanjaneya temples in Shivamogga as the places of worship opened for cleaning on Friday.
The priest chanted shlokas while hundreds of devotees witnessed a special puja from a distance. They were also not allowed to sit in the temple premises. Flower and coconut sellers were happy to resume business by opening their shops located in the premises.
On Friday, the people rushed to the temple because of the lunar eclipse. Though priests and the temple management restricted the entry of devotees, the latter were seen praying from the premises itself. “We do not have permission to open the temple. We are cleaning the yard. But we can't stop people from coming and praying,” said a trustee of the Marikamba temple.
The Annapurna Temple at Horanadu in Chikkamagaluru has gone online to connect the devout with the goddess — the management is using Facebook Live for the purpose. Main priest and Dharmadarshi Bhimeshwara Joshi said the management is not ready to open the temple anytime soon. Joshi requested the devotees to follow the temple Facebook page for updates.