Kateel Sri Durgaparameshwari Temple, a muzrai temple in Dakshina Kannada with the highest number of visitors among other temples in the coastal belt, will not be opened for devotees on Monday.
According to sources in the temple, the administration is thinking of introducing free e-booking facility for darshan to allow devotees in a staggered manner. Once the on-line booking facility is ready, the temple is likely to be re-opened for devotees on July 1.
As there is not enough space inside and outside the temple, allowing a limited number of devotees in a day will help maintain social distancing, according to sources. Kukke Subrahmanya temple, another muzrai temple with the highest highest revenue in the State, will be re-open on Monday.
Devotees can have only darshan — from 8.30 a.m. to 5.30 a.m.
Administrator of the Kukke Subrahmanya temple and also Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada M.J. Roopa said in a release on Sunday that devotees are not allowed to stay in the accommodation facilities of the temple till this month-end.
She said that devotees will be given tokens and they will be allowed to go inside the temple during the allotted time-slot.
Ms. Roopa said that food-prasadam will not be served in the temple. The devotees will not be given theertha, gandha or any type of prasadams. They are not allowed to offer mangalarati.
The release said that the devotees are not allowed to prostrate or sit on the temple premises. No devotee is allowed to take bath in the “snana ghatta” or the temple pond.
The devotees will have to wear masks and they will be screened with an infra-red thermometer.
She has advised those aged 65 and above, children aged below 10, pregnant women and sick people to avoid visiting the temple.
The Manjunatha temple at Dharmasthala, the Kudroli Gokarnanatha temple, the Mangaladevi temple and the Kadri Manjunatha temple in the city will also be re-opened for devotees on Monday.
A statement from the Dharmasthala temple said on Sunday that the darshan timings will be from 6.30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Food will be served at the temple, it said.
