Lord Venkateswara temple in Tirupati (File photo)
With the virus keeping devotees away from religious places, it’s now time for the much-awaited darshan as restrictions are eased from Monday. Most popular shrines in the country are set to open, albeit with a lot of caution.
The Mahakaleshwar temple in Ujjain will open its doors on June 8 after being shut for 79 days. But devotees can’t just walk in. They have to book a slot via an app or a toll-free number a day in advance.
“Devotees will be allowed to visit the temple between 6.30am and 8.15pm,” said S K Tiwari, assistant administrator of Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee, after a meeting on Friday. They will launch the app and helpline in time for people to start making bookings on Sunday.
However, devotees will not be allowed to attend Bhasmarti ritual or enter the sanctum sanctorum.
The Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala will also reopen on June 8 with unprecedented precautions. There will be a trial run from June 8 for two days in which only Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanams employees wi