COVID-19 night curfew to hit Navratri celebrations in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, check details

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New Delhi: With the surge in COVID-19 cases, several states and UTs have imposed strict restrictions including night curfews in order to curb the transmission of the deadly virus.  

With festivals like Navratri and Ramzan around the corner, many aspects of celebration will be modified as a result of COVID-19 related restrictions. Navratri will start on April 14 while Ramzan will fall on April 13 this year. 

Due to the night curfew implemented in Delhi from 10 pm to 5 am from April 6 till April 30, devotees will be able to visit temples only after 6 am till 9 pm. Anyone found violating the COVID-19 guidelines by flouting social distancing norms will be barred from entering temples, according to a report in Hindustan. 

Following the COVID-19 norms, thermal scanners and sanitisers will be available at the entry gate of shrines in Delhi. Also, offerings like garlands, coconuts have been banned. Navratri traditions like organizing 'jagrans' will also be not allowed in order to curb the spread of coronavirus, the report said. 

On Saturday (April 10), the Delhi government banned all social, political, sports, entertainment, cultural and religious gatherings. As per new instructions, Delhi Metro and DTC buses will now operate only at 50 per cent capacity. While a ceiling of 50 people in weddings and 20 people in funeral gatherings has also been announced. 

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh government on Saturday put a cap on the number of people entering a religious place at a time, in the wake of the rising COVID-19 cases. Ahead of the upcoming festivals of Navaratri and Ramzan, the Yogi government ordered officials to ensure that not more than 5 people are permitted to enter a religious place at a time.

Entry without masks in any temple of Mathura, Vrindavan, Goverdhan, Barsana and other areas has been banned. Devotees will have to adhere to social distancing in order to enter the temples, District Magistrate Navneet Singh Chahal told PTI.