Unlocking Indian shrines: These famous temples are all set to reopen

The Unlock process has begun in India after the COVID lockdown and a number of important sites have already reopened or are about to reopen in this phase. Owing to the same, a strict lockdown was also imposed to keep a check on the spread of the virus and temples across India were also shut. However, during the lockdown time, a number of famous temples decided to go online and streamed live darshan on special occasions.

Shutting the temples was one of the prime measures the government took in the early stages to control the virus.Now, in the unlock phase, the government is all set to open the gates of some of the prominent temples in India following all the health and safety measures. Here is a list of temples that are supposed to reopen soon.
Siddhivinayak Temple, Mumbai:

Considered one of the most important religious spots in Mumbai, the Siddhivinayak Temple needs no introduction. Just a few days back, the temple dedicated to Hindu deity Ganesha, celebrated the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi though devotees were not allowed inside because of COVID-19 outbreak.
Instead, the temple is offering online glimpse or darshan of Lord Ganesha to devotees followed by live aarti. In July 2020, it was reported that the temple will undergo some repairs to fill the cracks in the architecture. Thus, given the repair work, it’s still unsure whether the temple will reopen fully or partially.

Jain Mandirs in India:

The three prime Jain mandirs in Mumbai already reopened for devotees on the last day of the Paryushan festival (from 15 August to 22 August) with the Supreme Court’s orders. The Paryushan Parv is considered sacred for Jains; during this time, all people belonging to the Jain community observe fast.

Hemkund Sahib Gurdwara, Chamoli, Uttarakhand:

The Hemkumd Sahib Gurdwara in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand was also affected by the virus outbreak and was shut down. But now, this famous religious centre for Sikhs will reopen, with COVID-19 control norms in place on 4 September.

Lokpal Laxman Temple, Chamoli, Uttarakhand:

The famous Lokpal Laxman Temple in Uttarakhand will also reopen for devotees on September 4 at 4 AM in the morning. The news was confirmed by District Magistrate Swati Bhadoria through ANI.

Padmanabhaswamy temple, Thiruvananthapuram:

Another famous temple that is all set to welcome devotees is the beautiful Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. As per PTI, the temple will reopen for devotees from 26 August. The temple had closed its doors for devotees on March 21 because of the hike in the number of virus cases. But now the temple will open with all the safety measures and protocols prepared by the authorities.