A darshan from afar this time; over to next Tuesday
LUCKNOW : Devotees of Lord Hanuman had to be content with darshan from afar as Hanuman temples across the city remained closed and Covid-19 protocols were strictly enforced on the second Tuesday of the month.
On the occasion of the second Bada Mangal, a number of devotees came for darshan of Lord Hanuman at Bada Hanuman temple in Aliganj but none was allowed entry inside the temple. They had to be content with darshan from the platform, which is quite some distance away. Parikrama of the temple was also not allowed by the temple administration due to Covid-19 protocols.
The Hanuman Setu temple too offered limited darshan to devotees. However, arti was webcast on the social media page of the temple. Like last Tuesday, hundreds of people had gathered.
Diwakar Tripathi, secretary, Sankat Mochan temple at Hanuman Setu, said, “A number of people came for darshan but were only allowed to get a glimpse of Lord Hanuman from the side of University road.”
Similar was the case at the Rakabganj Hanuman Temple, Puccapul Hanuman temple, Tadian Hanuman temple, Talkatora Road Balaji temple, Alambagh Mauni Baba temple, where hundreds of people had darshan from outside the gates.
But with the district administration lifting the lockdown from Wednesday, there was reason to celebrate among the faithful.
Anurag Pandey, a resident of Mahanagar, who came for darshan at the Aliganj temple, said, “I am happy because from next Tuesday (Bada Mangal) I will be allowed darshan of the deity in the temple. The bhandaras which we missed this Tuesday will also return. I will also be able to perform the Hanuman Chalisa and Sundar Kand inside the temple. The pandemic cannot win. God will help us beat the pandemic.”
However, office-bearers of various temples have appealed to devotees to follow Covid-19 protocols strictly and maintain social distancing. “The lockdown is gone but the pandemic is still there,” said Chandrakant, the priest at the Hanuman Setu temple.
At the New Hanuman Temple, Aliganj, Anil Tewari, the priest, said that ceremonies began with the arti of Lord Hanuman in the morning, followed by bhajans.
More than 40 people donated for bhandaras at the Mangalman site, mayor Sanyukta Bhatia said. The registrations are expected to go up next Tuesday.