Dubai Hindu temple to be closed on Shivratri
Management urges devotees not to visit premises to prevent spread of coronavirus
Devotees urged not to visit complex to prevent virus spread
The Hindu temple complex in Bur Dubai will not hold physical celebration of the upcoming Maha Shivratri festival to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the management of the Gurudarbar Sindhi Temple has urged devotees not to visit the temple premises to celebrate the festival held in honour of Hindu deity Lord Shiva.
In a statement issued yesterday, the management said it has decided to keep the temple doors closed on Maha Shivratri which falls on March 12, in line with the Covid-19 protocols, and as a proactive measure for the safety of all devotees.
Currently, the temple is open only for an hour every day. “The temple opens for half an hour in the morning and half an hour in the evening for conducting puja,” a temple trustee told Gulf News.
Shivratri is the biggest festival observed in the temple and it used to be thronged by 50,000 to 60,000 devotees from as early as the break of the dawn on the day every year before the pandemic hit.
Virtual celebration
Though the authorities have not yet issued any order to cancel the celebrations, the temple management said it decided to do so out of abundance of caution and care.
“We don’t want thousands of people to gather and cause concerns about the spread of the virus. Hence, we decided to close the temple for celebrations by the public as a precautionary measure from our side to ensure safety and security of the community,” the trustee said.
To allow devotees to seek blessings on the auspicious day, the temple has also arranged a virtual ‘darshan’ [beholding] of the deity.
Devotees can visit the YouTube channel ‘Hindu Temple Dubai’ to watch the live streaming on that day. The trustee said a decision would be taken later about observing Holi, another major Hindu festival. Holi is falling on March 28 this year.