“Thousands and lakhs of people come to the Siddhivinayak Temple to pay respect. In the current situation, it is our responsibility to deal with the crisis (coronavirus outbreak). “Hence, the trust has decided that the temple will be closed for worship until further notice,” said Bandekar, reported by Republic.

One of the most visited shrines in Mumbai, the Siddhivinayak Temple announced on Monday to remain closed for devotees till further notice due to the dreadful coronavirus outbreak in Maharashtra. The Siddhivinayak Temple in Prabhadevi, dedicated to Lord Ganesh, attracts hundreds of devotees every day and especially remains crowded on Tuesdays.

The decision came in the backdrop of the Maharashtra government’s advisory to avoid crowding and mass gatherings as part of preventive measures to curb the spread of the viral infection.

Filmmaker, director Madhur Bhanadarkar took to his Twitter handle to share that for the first time in 25 years of visiting the temple every Tuesday, he prayed from outside Sidddhivinayak Temple amid corona virus pandemic. The director shared a beautiful picture of the holy temple and said he supports the decision of closing the temple in the interest of the nation.

Siddhivinayak Temple trust chairman Adesh Bandekar said the number of coronavirus cases is increasing rapidly worldwide. “Thousands and lakhs of people come to the Siddhivinayak Temple to pay respect. In the current situation, it is our responsibility to deal with the crisis (coronavirus outbreak). “Hence, the trust has decided that the temple will be closed for worship until further notice,” said Bandekar. Maharashtra has so far reported 37 positive cases of the novel coronavirus.

Image Source: Insight india