Sanitizing tunnel, no-touch ‘jalabhishek’ for devotees

Lucknow: Devotees visiting Mankameshwar Temple on Monday were in for a surprise. Not because they had to undergo thermal scanning and use sanitizer, but for the fact they had to offer water and milk to the deity via stainless steel slide, put up at a distance from the sanctum sanctorum, especially made by the temple authorities for contactless ‘jalabhishek’.

Other places of worship also came up with innovative ways to meet the requirements of the new normal.

Head priest of Mankameshwar temple, Mahant Divyagiri, came up with the idea after the district administration’s guidelines barred devotees from touching idols in temples.

“Since offering of milk or water to ‘shivalingam’ is an essential part of worshipping Lord Shiva, we came up with this idea. The new set up enables devotees to make offerings without entering the sanctum sanctorum,” said Mahant Devyagiri.

The pipe is designed on the lines of an ‘arghya-patra’ (a container in which libation is made). Devotees can pour in offerings on the circular vessel attached to the slide and the offerings flow directly over the ‘shivalinga’, without any touch or crowd near the deity.

“We have never seen such a unique way of offering milk or water to the deity,” said Nikita Singh, a devotee.

At Hanuman Setu temple too, sprinklers were used to sanitize devotees before being allowed entry.

At St Joseph’s Cathedral Church in Hazratganj, people were made to pass through a sanitization tunnel while wearing face mask. When a person passes through the tunnel, nozzles spray a disinfectant mist which kills most of the germs and viruses. “The chemical used for sanitization is safe for humans,” said Father Donald D’Souza, spokesperson of Cathedral Church.

Gurdwara Naka Hindola used a nano spray gun to sanitize devotees from head to toe. “The machine is filled with an alcohol-based sanitizer (75% alcohol) which is sprayed on devotees while keeping their eyes safe,” said president of Lucknow Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (LGPC) Rajendra Singh Bagga.

At Gurdwara Sadar, foot-operated hand washing and hand dryer has been is set up, apart from thermal scanners and sanitizer dispensers.