Nagpur: Maharashtra government on Friday issued guidelines to reopen the religious places in the state from October 7. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in a tweet said that all the places of worship will reopen on the first day of Navratri.
“All temples in Maharashtra to be reopened from October 7 – the first day of Navratri,” Maharashtra chief minister’s office said.
All places of worship will reopen for devotees from the first day of Navaratri, i.e., 7th October 2021, while observing all COVID safety protocols.
— CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) September 24, 2021
Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government imposed several restrictions on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, which is considered to be one of the most important festivals of Maharashtra. The three-wheel government received a lot of criticism for imposing the restrictions from the opposition party.
The state government did not allow religious places to reopen fearing a rise in Covid-19 cases. It also cited that a rise in cases would also increase the chances of a probable third wave in the country.
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said, “The Maharashtra government has prepared itself for a third wave, but with all precautions, the state is allowing relaxation in various activities.”
“Although daily Covid-19 cases are showing a declining trend, everybody should take care and follow Covid-19 protocols. While religious places are going to be opened, people still need to wear face masks and use hand sanitisers,” Thackeray was quoted by PTI.
The religious places were opened up last year but were closed again when the second wave of Covid-19 hit India. Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) were issued by Thackeray for the same.
