We are not ready, say Kamakhya temple priests after govt orders reopening from 24 Sept

Priests at Assam's Kamakhya temple have requested devotees to not visit this Thursday because a lot of Covid safety arrangements are still to be done.

File photo of the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati | Commons

Guwahati: Hours after a notification was issued by the Assam government Monday to reopen the popular Kamakhya temple from 24 September (Thursday), temple priests said it will only be possible after all arrangements are made to ensure the safety of visitors.

The notice issued by the Kamrup Metropolitan District administration said the temple will either open from Thursday or “after the completion of arrangements decided”.

“We are not yet prepared. We will need time and only after a discussion, the Kamakhya Devalaya Committee will take a decision on when to reopen the temple. We have a lot of arrangements to do, and it might take days. We would like to request people to not visit the temple this Thursday,” said Doloi Mohit Chandra Sharma, a senior priest at the temple.

The shrine, situated in Guwahati, has remained shut since 20 March following government directives to prevent the spread of Covid-19 outbreak. On 21 April, the temple management committee had also decided to cancel the annual ‘Ambubachi Mela’ which is held from 21-25 June every year and draws lakhs of devotees.

A meeting was held on 19 September at the office of the Kamrup Metropolitan Deputy Commissioner between city police personnel and members of the Kamakhya Temple Management Committee to decide on a set of guidelines for reopening of the temple.

Online passes, no entry for those below 10 & above 65 years

According to the guidelines issued by the district authorities Monday, not more than 500 devotees will be allowed into the temple premises on a daily basis for prayers and parikrama.

The Kamakhya Temple Management Committee will also issue online passes to devotees and bar entry of those below 10 and above 65 years of age. These online passes will be given out on a time slot basis to control the gathering. For every hour, 100 online passes will be issued and devotees will be allowed inside the premises for only 15 minutes, the notification stated.

A medical team will also be deployed at a designated entry point near the temple to conduct Covid-19 tests of visitors. The notification, however, said those who can produce a Covid-19 negative test report issued in the last three days will not be screened at the entry point.

A “holding area” will be arranged near the main temple premises from where devotees can proceed “in small batches”. Regular sanitisation of the holding area, besides adequate arrangement of sanitisers and thermal scanners, will have to be borne by the temple authorities.

The Kamakhya temple is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths or holy sites across the country that is dedicated to Goddess Kamakhya or Sati, one of the many incarnations of Durga. The ‘garvagriha’ or the temple’s sanctum sanctorum houses the yoni — female genitalia — symbolised in the form of a rock.