Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Lingaraj Temple, Bhubaneswar reopened for devotees from September 1 with all the Covid-19 protocols and regulations. After the meeting which was conducted by the temple trust board chaired by Khurda Collector Sanat Kumar Mohanty, the decision to reopen the temple for the public was finalized.
According to the official reports, the BMC has issued a set of guidelines to be followed by the devotees, sevayats, staff and temple officials like – devotees are being allowed darshan of Lord Lingaraj from Ada Katha while the visitors are being mandatorily asked to furnish proof of two doses of vaccination certificates either on paper or mobile phone at the entrance.
Further, the devotees will have to produce a double dose vaccination certificate or negative RT-PCR conducted within 72 hours, while, children and elderly people are not allowed inside the temple. People with symptoms such as SARI or ILI cannot enter the temple. Adults, pregnant women, and children under the age of 18 who have been diagnosed with the deadly disease have also been barred from entering.
Meanwhile, entering the sanctum sanctorum is strictly forbidden for devotees while a maximum number of 100 devotees are being allowed from the Lion’s Gate to Ada Katha to offer prayer to Lord Lingaraj at a time.
The report further added that the servitors cannot accept any offerings from the devotees while the devotees will be allowed to have darshan only. The temple authorities have arranged the facilities for washing and sanitizing hands at the entry and exit of the temple.
