Suryapet: That Covid to sow destruction with people’s lives is an understatement. Even as the world struggles with the pandemic, thousands involved in various professions are at the end. One such community is that of purohits, who fulfill their professional obligations, especially during this wedding season.
But this time things are different. In view of the increase Covid-19 cases in the district, the Sangam or Suryapet district Vedic Brahmins appealed to the people not to perform weddings in May, because there are only nine favorable days (muhurthams) in the next 20 days, and postpone it to June. The meeting of the executive body of the Sangam adopted a resolution appealing to the people in this regard.
The office bearers of Sangam also submitted a memorandum to the district collector T Vinay Krishna Reddy in which he asked not to issue permits for marriages till the end of the month in the district. They made the decision after several purohits became infected Covid after performing marriages and other rituals in the recent past.
Nearly 20 purohits tested positive in the city of Suryapet alone. In some cases, they tested positive after attending rituals performed by families after the death of their loved ones.
The Suryapet District President of Sangam Manthramurthi, Shankara Murthi, of the Vedic Brahmins, said that purohits should not boycott their duty to perform marriages and other rituals for the continuation of Hindu traditions.
As such, the Sangam urged people to postpone the weddings planned in May until June, taking into account the safety of their family members as well as purohits. “In addition to performing marriages, the pandits also complete other related rituals. During a marriage, at least 20 relatives of the bride and groom stand near the purohit. “It only increases the possibility of infection,” he said.
Another pandit, on condition of anonymity, said at a pre-wedding function in Suryapet on May 7 that there were 200 people present, but permission was only for 30 people. ‘ No social distance and Covid safety standards were followed by them, ”he laments.
G Lakshminarsaiah Sharma, president of the Sangam district, in Nalgonda, said there were mostly 20,000 to 30,000 marriages in May in the Nalgonda district. In some cases, muhurthams are determined at least three months in advance and families are preferred to continue with marriages. “In such cases, a purohit could not refuse the marriage, as he would be involved in the engagement rituals and even in the determination of muhurthams,” he said.
He said it was regrettable that some of the relatives of those who had died Covid, were not aware of the purohits, that they (family members) were infected with the virus and still invited the purohits for the 10th day ceremonies. “This is a very difficult time for purohits to perform their professional duties,” he said.
Source: Telangana Today