Temples in India are shutting down amid Coronavirus scare

Varanasi district administration banned the Ganga Aarti and Yoga camps in the Laxmanjhula area of Tehsil Yamkeshwar till 31 March. Tourists have also been disallowed to be involved in Aarti programs in temples. UP has 16 confirmed cases and 5 people have been dischared.

In the wake of coronavirus outbreak, Shirdi Saibaba Temple in Maharashtra was declared shut for devotees on March 17 till further orders. The doors of Mumbadevi Temple have also been closed for devotees. After multiple cases of coronavirus were reported from Maharashtra, the administration has also closed down Pune's Shaniwar Wada Fort for the public. So far, 41 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the state, leaving one person dead.

Mumbai's Siddhivinayak Temple Trust decided on March 16 to close the temple till further notice. The Siddhivinayak Temple in Prabhadevi, dedicated to Lord Ganesh, attracts hundreds of devotees everyday and is especially crowded on Tuesdays.

The main Tibetan temple in Dharamshala closed for public on Tuesday as well, until April 15 subject to further notice Tsuglhakhang temple, which is situated in Dharamshala's Mecleodganj area, is popular among tourists and Buddhists across the world. No cases have been reported in Himachal Pradesh so far.

The Jammu and Kashmir administration announced on Wednesday closure of the Vaishno Devi yatra and banning of all interstate buses as part of the precautionary measures to arrest the spread of coronavirus. The district administration in Udhampur suspended all modes of public transport, while two major parks including Bagh-e-Bahu in Jammu and all public parks in Poonch district have been closed till further orders. Jammu and Kashmir have reported 3 positive cases so far.