Devotees In Karnataka Can Now Offer Puja In Temples As Government Relaxes Restriction

Devotees in Karnataka can offer pujas and sevas to the deity in temples in Karnataka as the government has relaxed its restrictions relating to conduct of temple affairs in the state.

In response to the demands of devotees, the department of Hindu religious institutions and charitable endowments has relaxed the rules pertaining to the conduct of temple affairs in the state and permitted the offering of pujas and sevas since 1 September.

The department issued an order regarding the same announcing the changes in Unlock 4. All temples in the state had opened for devotees but only for darshan since 29 May. No rituals could be performed, nor prasad distributed to devotees. This was to avoid contact between the archakas and the devotees visiting the temples.

But with most other activities resuming in full form, devotees had been demanding access to rituals in temples beyond just a glimpse of the deity.

While certain pujas and sevas can be availed, the annual festivals, and feasts will continue to stay prohibited.

All rituals that need to be held in place of the large celebrations as well as 'prayaschita' ( as a remedy for the non- conduct of) rituals may be conducted by the temples with just the temple staff and priests within the precincts of the temple, said the order.

No activity that involves crowd gathering or clusters will be permitted, said the department in its press release.

The 'annadasoha' or community meals served at temples which in normal times saw lakhs of devotees being fed across the state too will stay barred until further notice.

The opening up of sevas may also help temples make good the loss in revenue that they have been facing in the last quarter owing to the pandemic. The footfalls have been low despite the reopening of temples since June, affecting the revenue of even the richest temples of the state massively.

Kukke Subrahmanya which is the highest revenue earning temple, whose total earnings last year amounted to 96 crore rupees, is said to have seen it dipped to Rs 4.28 crore this quarter as against an average of 24.7 per quarter last year.