Hyderabad: As devotees of Mahankali Goddess have began Bonalu celebrations on Thursday amidst COVID-19 fears in the city, they are ensuring that safety norms be followed.
Every year, the Bonalu festival use to be celebrated for 11 days but for the first time, this festival is being celebrated for one month to avoid crowding near the temples. The Old City Temples Association has made all necessary arrangements to ensure devotees follow social distancing and wearing face masks.
The Lal Darwaza temple’s committee is also ensuring that all devotees wear face masks properly, sanitise hands, go through thermal screening before entering the temple, and apply the tilak. The distribution of prasadam has been restricted this year.
The Lal Darwaza temple of Simhavahini Sri Mahankali Devalayam is going to celebrate its 112th year of Bonalu celebrations.
The temple premises is being sanitised every two hours and devotees have also offered special Pooja ‘Amara Abhishekam’ to halt the Coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking about the safety norms at Lal Darwaza temple, the committee Chairman, J Laxminarayan Goud, stated that safety precautions are being strictly followed at the temple including thermal screening and sanitising devotees before entering the temple. Social distancing signs were marked and the crowd is totally prohibited. The Chairman also stated, “Women devotees have started bringing the Bonam to the temple by their wearing face masks and only four to five devotees at a time are allowed inside the temple.
Unfortunately, this year the devotees of Mahankali are not applying Tilak and not having any Prasadam distribution near the temple due to the pandemic
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