Thousands throng Shiv temple at Saketri, Covid norms flouted

A priest at the temple, while talking to the Indian Express, on Tuesday expressed worry at the huge crowds that were witnessed throughout the day. “This is a huge festival for the Hindus. The crowd witnessed this day always numbers in the thousands. Lines outside the temple had started forming around 10 pm on Monday night only. Thousands, if not more, are trying to enter the temple premises at a time. The queues outside are almost two-kilometers long at any given time of the day.”

The Indian Express also spotted no check posts to control the crowds or ensure the enforcement of Covid norms in the premises of the temple.

Rajkumar, a devotee who came out after paying obeisance at the temple premises on Tuesday, said, “I had been standing in queues since 6 this morning and could only enter after about 3pm due to the massive rush. The crowd this time is in fact larger than what it was last year. Each year, devotees reach the spot in large numbers, but the Panchkula administration never learns its lessons and makes any prior arrangements for the festival. No checkposts or orderly queue lines can be seen. People just step on top of each other to try and enter the temple first to pay obeisance.”

Another devotee, Arvind, however, was not as lucky as Rajkumar. “I reached here around 10 am and had to return around 3 pm without darshan as the crowd was too much and I was exhausted after the long struggle. Darshan did not seem possible here and I chose to visit the smaller shiv temple near my home. This is the first time I have had to return without paying obeisance from here,” he said.