A large number of people gathered at the Perur Padithurai (ghat) of the Patteeswarar Temple near Coimbatore for rituals on the occasion of Mahalaya Amavasya on Wednesday.
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Officials of the Revenue and the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments departments and the police could not control the crowd which gathered at the ghat from morning.
In view of the restrictions that are in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities had requested devotees to avoid gathering at the ghat.
As the flow of devotees increased and physical distancing norms floated at the ghat and the temple premises, officials used public address system to send them back.
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As COVID-19 restrictions are in place, the temple authorities had not erected barricades at the ghat for people to perform rituals on the banks of the river. The water in the river had turned muddy due to recent rain. However, more than 100 people visited the ghat on Wednesday.
Last year, the police had sent back devotees who attempted to perform rituals at the ghat due to the pandemic-induced restrictions.