Devotees pray outside Mumba Devi temple amid pandemic restrictions

Devotees offered prayers outside the Mumba Devi Temple on Durga Ashtami as Maharashtra's temples remained closed due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Devotees offered prayers outside the Mumba Devi Temple on Durga Ashtami as Maharashtra's temples remained closed due to COVID-19 pandemic. On the eighth day of Navratri, devotees gathered outside the famous temple in Mumbai and offered prayers from far away places since the temple is shut for the public as per the COVID-19 protocols.

Meanwhile, shop owners outside the Mumba Devi temple complained of loss in business amid pandemic. "Our business is down by almost 70 per cent despite the festive season, flowers have become expensive during the lockdown and there are no customers either. Temples are closed so there is hardly any sale" Kanchan, a stall-owner outside the temple, told ANI.

"On ordinary days, we would earn around Rs 5000 to 7,000. Since the lockdown, our earnings have been reduced to Rs 1000 to 1,500. Only local people come and visit the temple once in a while," Pankaj, another stall-owner, told ANI. With 1,44,426 total active cases, Maharashtra continues to be the worst affected state by COVID-19 in the country. While 14,45,103 patients have recovered from the disease in the state, 43,015 have died so far. (ANI)

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