Temples see big rush on Vijayadasami Day

“Though only a few people visited the temple in the morning, more than 1,000 devotees were standing in a queue at Kapaleeshwarar temple in the evening. Many remained inside the premises even after the darshan, which made the temple overcrowded. Even though the temple administration were sending off devotees fast, people were still coming,” said Ganesh P, a resident of Mambalam.

To avoid large gatherings, the priests and managements were asked to avoid Archanai. They did not accept fruits and flowers for the deity from the devotees. Visitors and staff were allowed inside only after checking temperature and sanitisers were placed at the entrance.

As only the vidyarambam rituals were done at the temple, it was not very crowded, said Parvati M, who visited the Ayyappan temple at RA Puram. “They didn’t make anyone wait, and everybody performed as per the token,” she added.

According to an official at Srivapuri Murugan Temple, the crowd who gathered on Friday was comparatively less this year because many of the devotees were not aware that temples were open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“Usually, on Ayudha pooja and Vijayadasami, the temple would receive large gatherings. But this year, as it was reopened with a short notice, people are not aware that the big temples are allowed to open. On Friday, we ensured that people followed COVID protocols, and nobody was allowed to remain inside the premises after darshan,” the person said.