Karnataka: With temples still not open for devotees due to COVID-19, live streaming of poojas and sevas soon

PTI, May 21, 2020, 4:55 PM IST

Karnataka: With temples still not open for devotees due to COVID-19, live streaming of poojas and sevas soon

Bengaluru: With temples yet to open for devotees as COVID-19 restrictions are in place, the Karnataka government is preparing for live streaming of sevas (service) and poojas offered to deities at temples that comes under the state’s Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Department.

The government has also decided to develop an app and web-based software with an intention to provide information to devotees regarding temples, also to facilitate online donations and advance booking for various sevas offered there.

Regarding online live streaming, Commissioner of the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Department has written to the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts and Executive Officers seeking a list of temples that comes under their jurisdiction where such facility can be provided.

“It has been intended to do online live streaming of sevas and pooja rituals at temples that come under the department in the backdrop of COVID-19 crisis. In this regard it is requested to provide a list of temples where online live facility can be provided to devotees, by abiding the traditions and practices of the temple,” the letter said.

Though the temples are holding daily poojas and rituals, they are not open to the public for now, with COVID-19 induced lockdown restrictions in place.

Officials had recently had said that the department was planning to have a standard operating procedure (SOP) in place, that needs to be followed at temples in a post lockdown scenario, once they are opened for the public.

There are over 34,000 temples in the state that come under the department.

Meanwhile, in another letter to DCs of 15 districts, also Executive officers and administrators of ‘A’ grade temples, aimed at the development of an app and web-based software, the Commissioner has sought information regarding sevas offered at temples in their jurisdictions and those sevas for which option can be provided for devotees to do advance booking.

It said, conditional approval has been given to Spiritual Products Private Limited, Mysuru, to develop the app and the web-based software free of cost.