Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jul 12: On the first Sunday after the announcement about the relaxation in lockdown norms, thousands of people thronged coastal Karnataka temples like Subrahmanya, Dharmasthala, Kateel, and Kollur. Udupi Sri Krishna Math was opened for the public from Sunday.

At Dharmasthala, elaborate arrangements were made to ensure that everyone was wearing masks, thermal scanning was performed, sanitiser was provided and social distance was maintained. In spite of rush, people went in queues duly maintaining social distance and paid obeisance to the Lord.

Devotees at Kukke Subrahmanya temple

Huge rush was also observed at Subrahmanya and the car street was jam-packed with devotees. Here also masks were inspected, sanitizer was dispensed and social distance was insisted. Most of the devotees offered Mangalarati seve as other services were not on offer at Subrahmanya. The devotees were not given opportunity to stay in the lodges of the temple and food, blessed sandalwood paste or other forms of Prasadam were not provided.

On Sunday, for the first time after the lifting of the lockdown, Sri Krishna Math was opened for the devotees. In the initial stages, the Paryaya Swamiji has decided to allow devotees to pay obeisance from 2 to 6 pm every day. Here also no services or lunch were offered to the devotees.

Kollur did not witness huge rush. But the number of devotees visiting the temple is increasing. Because of certain restrictions, there was a considerable decline in the number of devotees coming from other states.

A large number of devotees also visited Mangaladevi, Polali, Bappanadu, Kateel and other temples in the coast on Sunday.