Places of worship, restaurants and hotels reopen in Tripura

Most of the places of worship and hotels and restaurants in Tripura reopened as the unwinding process of the lockdown began on Monday. Temples and mosques in the state reopened but Catholic churches have decided to wait and watch before taking a decision in this regard.

Restaurants and hotels in state capital Agartala resumed business with owners enforcing the wearing of masks and social distancing inside the establishments. The gates of the 519-year-old Tripureswari temple, one of the 51 Shakti Peethas, were opened for devotees after nearly two-and-half-months.

The local administration has allowed devotees to enter the temple premises and offer prayers between 9 am and 5 pm, head priest Pandit Chandan Chakraborty said. "Social distancing was maintained in the temple.

'Aarati' and 'Anna Bhog' by the devotees were cancelled to avoid mass gathering," he said, adding the offerings were made in a manner in which no priest needed to touch those. All the persons entering the temple were thermally screened by a medical team.

Jamiat-e Ulama Hind state president Mufti Taibur Rahman said there was no limit on the number of people who could offer namaaz inside a mosque at a time but they have to wear masks and maintain social distancing while praying. Bishop Lumen Monterio of the Catholic Diocese in Tripura said the Catholic churches will remain closed till further orders.

"We are collecting the full guidelines and the standard operating procedure of the state government before reopening the churches," he said. Masks and hand sanitiser have been stockpiled in the churches in Tripura for use by devotees when the religious institutions reopen, he added.