Covid effect: Priests request resident to give dry food for shradhs

Ludhiana: City residents are going to find out difficult to trace priests for the rituals related with shradhs of their ancestors as priests are requesting them for giving dry food instead of cooked food, along with other things they want to give. The priests claimed that number of coronavirus cases are rising at a fast pace in city so it will not be wise enough for them to visit house to house for the shardhs.
The shradhs will start from September 2 and will continue till September 17. But this year devotees will have to wait for one month for Navaratras as one additional month is there in between shradhs and Navaratras.
A priest, Radhey Shyam Jha, from Sri Ram Ttemple near Arya College (Boys), Civil Lines, said, “It is advisable for the devotees to give dry food to the priests instead of giving them cooked food because as per government guidelines nobody should visit anybody. People have started calling me asking about possibilities in case priests deny for coming to the households.” He said at this moment safety of individuals is of utmost importance so people should keep this in mind and should avoid coming in contact with each other.
Another priest Om Parkash Shastri from Shree Shakteshwar Mahadev Ashram said, “I will suggest people to give dry food and donations as per their wishes because unlike previous years first of all priests will not go to anybody’s house and if they will go, they won't be able to eat much.” He said he also used to go to eat food at households during shardhs but this year he is in dilemma and will avoid as much as possible. He requested people to give dry food at the temple premises only so that they could first sanitise things and then use the items.
Rakesh Chander from Shree Raghunath Temple said, “If anybody wants to give anything he or she should come to my house and give only dry food as I would not be accepting cooked food from anybody.” He said they could not move from one house to another for eating food as they used to go earlier because at this moment it is difficult to judge in which house people have symptoms of Covid-19.