In a bid to check the spread of COVID-19 following the arrival of thousands of devotees at the Sri Raja Rajeshwara Swamy Devasthanam in Vemulawada, devasthanam authorities have started screening them with thermal guns, The Hindu has reported.

The Devasthanam staff and Special Protection Force (SPF) police wielding thermal guns have been deployed at the shrine at various locations to screen the pilgrims and check their for fever symptoms. Besides, the Devasthanam authorities have also intensified their sanitation drive, and making audio announcements informing the devotees to wear masks or cover their face with towels, etc.

Moreover, for the first time, the authorities have closed the dharmagundam (holy tank) where devotees take a holy dip before offering prayers. Devotees were informed to bathe instead in the cottages.

Responding to a news item “Undeterred by COVID-19, pilgrims throng Vemulawada” published in these columns on Tuesday, Collector D. Krishna Bhaskar had instructed the temple authorities to screen the devotees and intensify sanitation works. All the temple staffs were instructed to wear masks. Shop-keepers in and around the temple shrine too have started wearing the masks to avoid spread of COVID-19.

According to official sources, suspects identified by the thermal scanners of suffering from fever would be barred from entering the temple. Instead, they would be directly sent to the isolation ward at the District Headquarters Hospital in Sircilla textile town, they added.

However, as the pilgrim rush had dwindled from Tuesday, it has enabled the staff to sanitise the queue lines to check the spread of COVID-19. Temple authorities were expecting a heavy rush of pilgrims from Sunday for the auspicious Monday pujas, and the ensuing Ugadi festival on Wednesday.

For the annual Sri Ramanavami celebrations at the shrine where around two lakh devotees would normally throng to witness the celestial wedding, temple authorities said the district authorities have mooted the idea of conducting the celebrations this time without devotees to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Incidentally, there is no temple Executive Officer (EO) during this crucial period. Presently, Endowments Vigilance Officer Krishnaveni is acting as in-charge EO of Vemulawada and she is on leave for a week causing concern among the devasthanam authorities.

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