Jharkhand's Baba Dham temple opens for devotees after 7 months

The doors of the renowned Baba Baidyanath Dham temple in Jharkhand's Deoghar district were opened for devotees on Saturday after seven months amid strict security arrangements and adherence to COVID-19 restrictions.

Around 1,000 devotees with e-passes were allowed to offer obeisance from 6 AM to 4 PM, Superintendent of Police Dhananjay Kumar Singh said.

He said that an additional police force will be deployed on Sunday because of the possibility of a larger gathering of devotees in view of Ananth Chaturthdasi.

The police officer said that the devotees were allowed to enter the temple premises only after their e-passes were scrutinised at Mansarovar, some distance away from the temple.

The devotee turnout was lesser than expected but the move brought smiles on the faces of the priests and sellers of puja items in the vicinity of the temple premises.