SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 18: Finally, after five and half months, Baba Baidyanath Dham temple opened for 10 hours for 1000 general devotees from today.
Deoghar Deputy commissioner (DC) Manjunath Bhajantri said that as per the directive of the state government, the door of Baba Baidyanath temple has been opened for devotees from today from 6 am to 4 pm. With it, an E-pass facility for entry into the temple has also been started.
The DC said a devotee can now enter a temple for worship after getting an online entry pass through registration on jharkhanddarshan.nic.in.
“For ensuring 100% Covid-19 guidelines in one hour only 100 devotees would be allowed entry in the temple,” said the deputy commissioner. With this, total of 1000 general devotees would now be able to worship inside the temple in 10 hours (from 6 am to 4 pm) period.
Like any other temples of the state, Baba Dham temple Deoghar had been closed for ‘Darshan’ for general devotees since April 2021 in wake of the second spell of the Corona pandemic. The temple was closed first time on March 20, 2020, but later on, it opened for a brief period for devotees of Jharkhand. Even in Shravani, the Mela temple remained closed for general devotees and Kanwar.
Bhajantri has also appealed to Baba Baidyanath temple priests and members of Panda Dharmrakshni Samaj to inform and encourage the devotees about E-pass for entry into the temple so that in lack of information they ( devotees) do not face any problem after arrival here for worship.
“As per the state government order and Covid-19 guidelines only E-pass holders would be allowed for entry in the temple,” said the DC.
The opening of the Babadham temple has drawn massive applause from Panda Dharmrakshni Samaj, the frontal organization of over 5000 registered Pandas who had been agitating for reopening and had even called a bandh on August 30 for it.