Live streaming of Odisha's Samaleswari temple rituals on Facebook

SAMBALPUR:  Even as the Samaleswari Temple here remains closed for devotees, the shrine board has made arrangements for live streaming of the rituals during Navaratri. 

The temple trust board started live streaming of the ‘alati’ and other rituals conducted at the shrine from Saturday on its Facebook page. The process will continue during Dussehra in the morning and evening. 

President of Samaleswari Temple Trust Board Sanjaya Baboo said the priests expressed their unwillingness to open the temple to public in the wake of the prevailing situation.

“The opening of the temple might lead to spread of infection. So we decided to keep it closed for the safety of all,” he said. 

Every year, thousands of devotees visit the temple during Navratri to light ‘Akhanda Deepa’. However, this year, the ritual will be performed by the priests on behalf of the devotees. For this the devotees (karta) will have to mention his/her ‘gotra’ and pay the required amount to the priests for the ghee to keep the Akhanda Deepa burning during Navratri. This apart, rituals like ‘khanda dhua’ and ‘ranjita sobhayatra’ will be performed in a low-key manner. 

Earlier on Nuakhai and Mahalaya,  the temple trust had live streamed the rituals of the deity on Facebook for the devotees.

While the Maha alati on Nuakhai was viewed by at least 1,30,000 viewers and shared by 876 users, the rituals on the day of Mahalaya were viewed by 98,000 viewers and shared by 985 users.