Maharashtra to reopen temples for devotees from October 7; first day of Navratri 2021

Follow us on

All temples in Maharashtra will be allowed to reopen for devotees from October 7, adhering to all COVID-19 safety protocol, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) announced on Friday. 

The decision to reopen the temples was taken keeping in view the upcoming Navratri festival which begins on October 7.

"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 tweeted.

The BJP has been demanding the opening of the religious places in Maharashtra which were closed following the second wave of Covid-19. Along BJP, Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has also been vociferously demanding the opening of temples.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra on Friday reported 3,286 new coronavirus cases and 51 deaths which took the state's infection tally to 65,37,843 and death toll to 1,38,776, a health department official said. 

As many as 10 districts -- Yavatmal, Bhandara, Gondia, Gadchiroli, Hingoli, Washim, rural parts of Jalgaon, Nanded, Amarawati and Nagpur -- did not report new COVID-19 cases on Friday.

ALSO READ | Still in midst of Covid second wave even though cases are declining: Centre