Few seen in shrines, eateries, malls as new normal kicks in
Strict rules in place, regulars stayed away out of fear
Two-and-a-half months after they were ordered to close their doors, places of worship, restaurants as well as malls threw open their doors on Monday, the day one of Unlock 1.0 only to witness sparse attendance for prayers in temples, mosques and churches, and very low rate of footfalls in shopping malls and eateries.
Though on the streets and local shops, or in supermarkets, many people do not seem to care to respect social distance measures, there appeared to be some fear among people when it came to visiting places that used to attract good crowds, as in shopping malls.
Malls were nearly bare with few people making it on Monday. The owner of a designer clothing store in a mall said “people are afraid of Covid. So they are not coming because everyone thinks malls are always crowded.”
Incidentally, two of the most famous mosques — the Macca Masjid and the Shahi Masjid — kept their doors shut as their managements awaited instructions from the government on how to go about reopening for the devout to offer prayers. Other mosques in the city were opened and enforced safety measures for the people.
While Catholic churches saw subdued attendance for their services, churches serving members of the Protestant denomination remained closed over worries of congregations that could turn into Covid-19 spreading events.
Strict anti-contagion steps were in place at temples with people not being offered prasadam or theertham and not even allowed to ring the bells. Only about 700 people turned up at the Lord Balaji temple at Himayatnagar till the evening.