Silvester D'Souza

Daijiworld Media Network - Kundapur (MS)

Kundapur, Jul 20: Karkataka Amavasya Maravanthe Sri Varaha Swamy procession and sea bath did not take place for the first time in history due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The fair and sea bath had to take place on Monday, July 20, which is the day of Aati Amavasya this year. However, the district administration had informed the devotees well in advance that this year the fair and sea bath will not be held due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. So devotees did not arrive at Maravanthe.

Maravanthe was silent on Monday. The usual rush of people on Aati Amavasya was missing. Only handful of people were roaming on the beach. Police were on duty and did not allow anyone to get into the sea to have bath. All the shops were closed.

Only the villagers of Maravanthe were allowed to have the darshan of Lord Sri Varaha. They had to show their identity card to prove that they are the villagers of Maravanthe. Thermal scanning was being done and also sanitizers were applied on the hands of the devotees before entering the temple.

Traditional pujas were held at 5 am in the temple. These were carried out under the leadership of action executive officer of the temple Shobha. Though handful of other devotees arrived for the darshan, they were not allowed and were given awareness of the situation and sent back.