The traditional fervour and gaiety associated with ‘Kotha Amavasya’ festival, which falls a day prior to Ugadi, was missing with most of the temples remaining closed and imposition of curbs on mass gatherings, to check the spread of COVID-19, in the city on Tuesday, reported by The Hindu.

A small group of women devotees were seen performing pujas to the sacred tree outside the temple of Goddess Nookalamma at Dondaparthy. Most of the temples remained closed from Sunday in view of the nationwide ‘Janata Curfew’, followed by the lockdown announced in the State till March 31.

Though raw mangoes arrive in the market, weeks before the Telugu New Year Day (Ugadi), most Telugu families abstain from eating the raw fruit till Ugadi. They start consuming it with ‘Ugadi Pachadi’ on the Telugu New Year Day.

The availability of ‘neem flowers’ and mango leaves was comparatively very less at the Rythu Bazaars this year. Neem leaves are one of the ingredients, which is used in the preparation of Ugadi Pachadi, and mango leaves are used to decorate the entrance of homes.

Meanwhile, a deserted look is seen among the public on the second day of the lockdown on Tuesday. A vast majority of them have started using masks or some cloth to cover their face, when they come out of their homes. They are also implementing the social distancing norms at banks and other public places, to the extent possible.

Appeals were made on public address systems from temples and mosques asking the people of surrounding areas not to come out of their homes, to check the spread of the virus that was threatening to wipe out mankind.

Messages in Hindi and Telugu, were heard on the mike from a mosque at Hussain Nagar beside the National Highway at Marripalem to participate in the lockdown voluntarily.

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