The famous Kapilash temple situated in Dhenkanal district celebrates the Mahashivaratri festival today while strictly adhering to the covid-19 guidelines imposed by the local administration.
Every year on the occasion of Mahashivaratri tens of thousands of devotees throng to the temple to have the darshan of lord Chandrashekhara. But this year the scenerio is quite different, people with a negative covid-19 report from Dhenkanal district only are being allowed to the temple premises to have the darshan.

The district administration has taken all the necessary steps for the smooth functioning of the festival. Many platoons of police force have been deployed for the same.
The temple and it’s premises is well decorated with marigold and other flowers, proper barricading system has been placed to ensure the devotees to proceed towards the temple for the darshan in queue.

District Collector and Magistrate Shri Bhumesh Chandra Behera said, “We have barred people from other districts and state to come, but we are allowing the people of our own district who brings a covid-19 negative report with them to have the darshan, though we are feeling sad as every years lakhs of devotees congregate here, but we haven’t clamped section 144 like the other districts, we are allowing the people of our district who brings a covid-19 negative report with him.”