Telangana Bans Trials of Clothes in Malls; No Prasadam or Holy Water in Religious Places

Trial of clothing or accessories has been banned in shopping malls in Telangana, while religious places would not see any offerings like prasadam or holy water when all of these open on Monday after almost a

three month gap due to the coronavirus lockdown.

These were among the slew of directions issued in a Government Order on Sunday, while allowing reopening of shopping malls, restaurants and religious places from June 8.

These had remained shut since March 24 when the first phase of the national lockdown came into effect.

Standard Operating Procedures would have to be followed by managing committees, trusts or societies running religious institutions, hotels, restaurants and shopping malls and any failure to compy with them would lead to closure of the premises and attract penal provisions as per law.

In religious places, no offerings like prasadam or holy water, among others, would be allowed, while community kitchens, langars (community kitchen of Sikhs), Annadanam (sacred offering of food) need tofollow social distancing norms during preparation and distribution of food.

The government also banned touching of idols, holy books, mazars (a Muslim shrine or enshrined tomb).

Common prayer mats should be avoided and devotees asked to bring their own for the purpose, the order said.

Wherever necessary, disposable paper tokens should be used for management of queues at religious places, it said.

Face masks are mandatory for all people at these places and air conditioning, wherever installed, should be set at temperature range of between 24 C to 30 C and relative humidity range of 40 per centto 7O per cent, the GO said.