Subdued Janmashtam this year, as coronavirus yet to peak

LUDHIANA: Like most festivals celebrated post-corona outbreak, Janmashtami too was a subdued affair on Wednesday. The temples did celebrate but these were nothing compared to the grandiosity that this festival is known. Moreover, some residents preferred to stay at home and celebrate quietly with family.
The devotees visited city temples for paying obeisance to Lord Krishna, but not more than 20 people were allowed at a time. In Krishna mandir at Model Town extension, devotees came to seek blessings, but nobody was allowed to enter without mask and sanitising the hands. At the entrance their temperature was also checked.
Temples took care to put up barricades and direct devotees through a single entrance to control overcrowding inside the premises. Even for night events, the temple management committees were told to get rituals performed with only five priests.
Meanwhile, a resident of Haibowal, Manish Khanna said, “My son has recently turned one and we dressed him like Lord Krishna and we celebrated the festival at home. Earlier, we used to go to temples as small kids used to perform roles of Lord Krishna and Radha, but this time we decided against it, as it is not safe to go out.”
Another devotee, Gauri Gupta, said last year her family had great fun together on Janmashtami, but this time she went alone to pray in Govind Godham, as her parents are old and more more to infection.