Temples reopen across UP after closure during lunar eclipse

Lucknow/Mathura/Ayodhya, Mar 3 (PTI) Prominent temples across Uttar Pradesh remained closed for several hours on Tuesday in view of the lunar eclipse and the 'Sutak Kaal', before reopening in the evening after completion of purification rituals.

Major shrines, including the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura and the Vindhyavasini temple in Mirzapur, suspended darshan during the eclipse period.

After the eclipse ended, temples across the state resumed darshan following ceremonial cleaning, ritual bathing of deities and adornment with fresh attire and ornaments.

In Mathura and Vrindavan, devotees thronged temples as they reopened. G K Purohit, sewayat of the Danghati temple in Govardhan, said the shrine was cleaned and the deity offered a ceremonial bath before being dressed in new clothes and ornaments.

"There was a rush outside the temple as it reopened after morning darshan was curtailed," he said.

Despite temple closures, devotees continued to perform parikrama (circumambulation) of Govardhan hill throughout the day, chanting devotional slogans and singing Holi rasiya songs.

Pawan Kaushik, another sewayat at Danghati temple, said performing parikrama during an eclipse is considered auspicious.

Celebrations marking the 540th appearance day of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu began at several temples, including ISKCON's Krishna Balaram Temple (Chandrodaya Mandir) in Vrindavan and Shri Krishna Janmasthan in Mathura.

Bimal Krishna Das, head of the museum department at ISKCON Vrindavan, said a Mahaabhishek of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was performed and 108 varieties of food would be offered to the deity. A two-day feast has been organised and a play titled "Chaitanya Leela" will be staged on Wednesday, he added.

At Vrindavan's Chandrodaya temple, Maha abhishek of Gaur Nitai was performed after the darshan reopened. Media in-charge Abhishek Mishra said a Palki Utsav, Phool Bungla decoration, bhajan evening and flower Holi were also planned.

At Shri Krishna Janmasthan, a Panchopchar Puja using incense, lamps and offerings was performed earlier in the day, said Gopeshwar Nath Chaturvedi, a member of the temple's Seva Sansthan. A Holi rasiya programme is underway.

The Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan reopened at 8.30 pm after ritual cleansing and bathing of the deity, and darshan will continue till 10.30 pm, sewayat Anant Goswami said. The Radha Rani temple in Barsana also reopened in the evening.

In Ayodhya, darshan and prayers resumed at the Ram temple after the eclipse ended, drawing large crowds. Due to the Sutak period, the doors of major temples in the city, including Hanuman Garhi, Kanak Bhawan and Nageshwar Nath, were closed during the day.

Devotees who arrived in Ayodhya waited for several hours, and the usually busy Ram Path remained relatively quiet. After the eclipse, many devotees took a dip in the Saryu River before proceeding to the temples.

Anil Mishra, a member of the Ram temple trust, said an advisory was issued in advance to inform devotees about revised schedules to minimise inconvenience. Darshan and puja rituals formally resumed after post-eclipse rites were completed, he added.

Temple authorities across the state appealed to devotees to adhere to revised timings and cooperate with arrangements made during the eclipse period. PTI ABN/COR KIS OZ OZ