Amid coronavirus outbreak, It’s safety before faith in Chandigarh

Managements of religious places as well devotees in the tricity are giving priority to safety and health amid coronavirus outbreak across the world.

Even as not a single positive case has been reported in Chandigarh and its surrounding areas, places of worship of all faiths have witnessed around 50% fall in footfall, as confirmed by the managements of various temples, gurdwaras, churches and mosques.

Community kitchens of gurdwaras at Sectors 19, 22 and 34 wore a deserted look on Sunday, after Chandigarh Samuh Gurdwara Parbandhak Sangathan — which manages over 50 such places of worship in Chandigarh — announced temporary closure of langar to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Shri Mata Mansa Devi Shrine on Sunday suspended religious feast (bhandara) till April 3, as per orders of the Panchkula administration. In fact, the shrine board on Saturday decided to curtail the Chaitra Navratras fair, which is to begin on March 25 and witnesses a footfall in lakhs every year.

Even Bishop Ignatius Mascarenhas of the Roman Catholic Church, Shimla and Chandigarh Diocese, has directed all churches to take precautions in view of the outbreak.

Tara Singh, president of Samuh Gurdwara Parbandhak Sangathan, said langar has been discontinued keeping the safety of people in mind. “Community kitchen at some of the bigger gurdwaras witness hundreds of people sitting in the same hall, which can lead to the spread of the virus. We have asked all gurdwaras to do away with it temporarily. Prashad will still be offered to the devotees,” he said.

Explaining the situation on the ground, Amarjeet Singh, manager of Gurdwara Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib, Sector 34, said: “Number of devotees visiting the gurdwara has gone down significantly. Those who are still coming have been allowed to wear masks. The premises is sanitised daily, as per the UT administration’s instructions.”

“In Sikhism, it is nowhere written that disciples have to come to the gurdwara to pay obeisance. So people choosing to stay home need not feel guilty. Sevadars must use food-grade disposable gloves while providing prashad. Devotees without turbans should carry a personal cloth to cover their head to decrease the chances of virus transmission,” said Gurpreet Singh of Kendri Singh Sabha.

Detailing the restrictions during the Navratras fair at Mata Mansa Devi Shrine, Panchkula deputy commissioner Mukesh Kumar Ahuja said: “It has been decided that during the fair, people will not be allowed to gather at one place for long, and after paying obeisance, they would have to immediately return home. Apart from this, it was decided to stop all entertainment activities during the fair.”

The shrine board has also suspended spiritual discourse (bhajan-kirtan) during the nine auspicious days and would be providing live telecast for devotees to have ‘darshan’ of the shrine.

Meanwhile, during the Sunday Mass at Infant Jesus Church, Phase 11, Mohali, devotees received Holy Communion in their hands instead of the priest placing it directly in their mouths. It was part of the precautions advised by the Bishop.

Even on Good Friday (April 10), he has asked that people be discouraged from kissing the cross during the veneration, adding that blessings with a raised cross would suffice. He has also asked priests and ministers to sanitise their hands before distribution of the Holy Communion, besides asking churches to keep the holy water bowls dry.

However, various temples and mosques in Chandigarh are yet to take any concrete steps in this direction. Though, temples have reported a drop in footfall, Hindu Purv Maha Sabha president BP Arora said people have been visiting dispensaries running at temples to inquire about Covid-19.

Maulana Ajmal Khan, Imam of Jama Masjid in Sector 20, said devotees already wash hands before offering namaz, and there is not much contact, because of which chances of the virus being spread are limited.

However, the Iskcon temple in Sector 36 has stopped offering prasadam to devotees. Nand Maharaj Prabhu, the local head, said it has been done on the orders of the governing body