Covid fears may cast shadow as second priest tests positive

AYODHYA:THE coronavirus disease threatened to cast a shadow on the Ram temple foundation ceremony on Monday with a second priest testing positive for the infection and the administration expressing concern that local residents were flouting social distancing guidelines.

Satyendra Das, head priest of the existing makeshift Ram temple in Ayodhya, confirmed to HT that Prem Kumar Tiwari, part of the team that conducts the daily rituals at the Ram Janmabhoomi site, had tested positive for Covid.

“Of course it is worrying. We all stay in the same area in the temple. I also have some other conditions and I’m not a young man,’’ said the 82-year-old.

Last week, another junior priest called Pradeep Das from the same team tested positive and all those in contact with him were quarantined. Four other officials at the site also tested positive.

But senior district officials played down the priest’s infection. “We have tested a large number of people and we are taking all precautions. I don’t think this event has any risks at all,’’ said a top state government official on condition of anonymity.

“We had all the major festivalsRam Navami in April, we’ve celebrated Eid, so why should we not be able to celebrate this,’’ said Prakash Sharma, a senior official at the Ram Mandir Teerth Kshetra Trust.

Coronavirus fears may also keep a key guest, Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board chairman Zafar Ahmad Faruqi, away.