Covid-19 Effect : Goddess Durga Wears a Face Mask & Priests Offer Masks as ‘Prasad’

Etah (Uttar Pradesh): As India battles the second wave of coronavirus, people have been increasingly advised to take all precautionary measures to keep the virus at bay and authorities are trying their best to sensitise citizens. To emphasise the importance of wearing masks, a priest of a temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Etah put face masks on idol of Goddess Durga, pictures of which have gone viral. Yes, on the second day of Chaitra Navratri Wednesday, devotees visiting the temple were quite surprised when they found the idol of goddess Durga wearing a face mask. Not only that, The priests are also distributing masks as ‘prasad’ to devotees.

Pandit Manoj Sharma, a priest at the Durga temple, said since devotees are thronging the temple in large numbers, they decided to put a face mask on the idol of the goddess to send out a strong message.

“We have been distributing face masks as ‘prasad’ to promote Covid-appropriate behaviour among devotees. We have made proper arrangements for hand sanitiser and also put up Covid-19 advisory at several places on the temple premises to ensure devotees do not pose a danger to public health, and behave as responsible citizens.”

The temple management is also ensuring that all Covid guidelines are adhered to and not more than five devotees are allowed into the temple at a time. “Social distancing norms are also religiously being followed during the morning and evening ‘aarti’,” said the priest.

The temple’s administration has now become talk of the town and people are lauding the initiative.