Assam: Kamakhya prepares roadmap to resume temple ‘parikrama’

GUWAHATI: After remaining closed for almost six months owing to the novel coronavirus threat, Kamakhya temple management has planned to open the doors to its premises so that devotees can do ‘parikrama’ of the temple. However, the doors to the santum sanctorum of the shakti shrine will remain closed to avoid overcrowding.
Even though the Kamrup (Metropolitan) district administration is reluctant to give approval for re-opening the temple as cases continue to rise across the state, the temple management say they will approach the authorities this week.
Mohit Chandra Sarma, the president of the Kamakhya Temple Trust Board, on Monday said they have prepared a roadmap so that the devotees, in batches, can enter the premises and do Parikrama of the temple. “At present, we don’t have any plans to open the temple doors for the devotees. However, the temple management is deliberating on opening of the temple premises so that the devotees can do the rounds (Parikrama) of the sanctum sanctorum to pay their obeisance to goddess Kamakhya,” Sarma told TOI.
While the closure of the Kamakhya temple premises since March 20 has deprived the devotees from paying visit to the famous shakti shrine, the finances of the temple has also been severely hit. The Ambubachi Mahayog, the biggest congregation of devotees at the Kamakhya temple, was carried out without any festivity for the first time because of the Covid-19 threat.
“There are about 250 employees under the Kamakhya temple management. We have been paying full salaries to health staff and workers involved in cleanliness and other essential works, even though donations received have been almost nil since the lockdown. Despite financial constraints, we have been paying 40% salary to those involved with the management and office works even if they are sitting back home,” he added.
The Kamrup (Metropolitan) district authorities have, however, not yet given its approval to the temple authority’s plans. As per a directive issued by Assam chief secretary Kumar Sanjay Krishna on September 4, social, academic, sports, entertainment, cultural, religious and political functions shall be allowed with a gathering of maximum of 100 persons at a time with effect from September 21 only.
“As the state government’s order is in force till September 21, we have told the Kamakhya management to wait. It may be very difficult to stop the flow of devotees once the temple premises is opened,” Kamrup (Metropolitan) deputy commissioner Biswajit Pegu said. With the positivity rate in Kamrup (Metropolitan) rising to almost 11% of late, Pegu said that the situation remains alarming in Guwahati.