Srinagar’s Jamia Masjid to reopen from Tuesday

SRINAGAR: Jamia Masjid, the grand mosque in Srinagar’s downtown area that had been closed since March 23 in the wake of the Covid-induced lockdown, will reopen after six months from Tuesday, the Anjuman Auqaf (management) announced on Sunday.
The mosque — managed and run by Kashmir’s prominent cleric family of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the Hurriyat Conference chairman — had also remained closed for 138 days since August 5, 2019, with the nullification of Articles 370 and 35A, which paved the way for the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir into the twin Union territories of J&K and Ladakh. It was later reopened on December 20, 2019.
Acknowledging the new normal evolving worldwide with the easing of lockdown restrictions and resumption of services, the mosque management said in a statement that devotees need to remain precautious and strictly abide by the SOPs and guidelines laid down by medical experts, in view of the daily surge in coronavirus cases. It requested the elderly, sick and children to refrain from visiting the masjid and warned worshippers against greeting each other by hugging, shaking hands or any form of physical contact.
Devotees were urged to mandatorily wear masks and maintain a minimum physical distance of two metres between them at all times, and a gap of one row between two consecutive rows. Ablution should be done at home and using water fountains inside the mosque for the same will be prohibited. The faithful must also carry their own prayer rug and copy of the holy Quran. The statement also advised worshippers to keep a safe distance from others while leaving or entering the mosque.