Andhra Pradesh temples to close by 12 pm in view of curfew

VIJAYAWADA: Many major temples in the state have introduced fresh restrictions or reduced darshan timings. Sri Veera Venkata Satyanarayana Swamy temple in Annavaram has decided not to allow devotees for darshan in view of the extended curfew in the state from Wednesday.

Temple priests will perform all the rituals in ‘ekantam’. Devotees, however, can participate in arjitha seva (Satyanarayana Vratam, Nitya Kalyanam, Ayushu Homam and Chandi Homam) online. Darshan timings at Kanaka Durga temple in Vijayawada, and Kanaka Mahalakshmi temple and Simhachalam temple in Visakhapatnam have also been reduced in view of the extended curfew from Wednesday.

In a press statement on Tuesday, Kanaka Durga temple executive officer D Bramarambha said the devotees will be allowed to visit the temple between 6:30 am and 11:00 am only. Earlier, the devotees were allowed between 6:30 am and 7:30 pm after temple staff tested positive for Covid-19, and some succumbed to the disease.

“Although the daily rituals and special pooja will continue, people will not be allowed to attend the events.” The EO added adequate temple staff have been deployed to perform thermal screening of devotees, and ensure that every person on the premises wears masks and maintain physical distance.

“We appeal to the devotees to strictly adhere to Covid- appropriate behaviour to prevent the spread of the infection. No devotee will be allowed to enter the temple premises after 11.30 am,” the statement read.

Devotees at Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi temple at Burujupeta will be allowed for darshan from 6 am to 11 am. All rituals after 11 am will be performed in ‘ekantham’. At Simhachalam too, devotees will be allowed for darshan from 6 am to 11.30 am only.

However, all poojas and rituals will be performed till 9 pm. Similar restrictions have also come into place at Kanipakam Varasiddhi Vinayaka temple in Tirupati as the trust board has decided to allow darshan till 12 pm. New curfew restrictions will be implemented in the state from Wednesday, and commercial establishments will be allowed to operate only between 6 am and 12 pm, post which only essential services will function.