UP temples celebrate Janmashtami amid COVID-19 pandemic
Aug 12, 2020
Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) [India], Aug 12 : Celebrations on the occasion of Sri Krishna Janmashtami started in temples across Uttar Pradesh late on Tuesday night and continued well into Wednesday morning amid the COVID-19. Devotees were not allowed to enter the temples due to the pandemic.
'Mangal aarti' followed by 'Mangal Abhishek' and another aarti were offered at the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Temple in Mathura on Wednesday morning as the city is celebrating Janmashtami.
Celebrations also began at ISKCON Temple in Noida Sector 33, for Janmasthami on Wednesday.
"Darshan will be shown live on our YouTube channel and Facebook page, in the wake of COVID. Devotees are not allowed for darshan at the temple. All precautions have been taken," informed the Temple officials.
Priests and their family members in Moradabad also sang 'bhajans' and offered prayers at the Radha Krishna Temple in the city on the occasion of Krishna Janmashtami on Wednesday. Some devotees offered prayers outside the temple as public entry was prohibited in view of COVID-19.
Priests and 'Sevadars' of the celebrated Krishna Janmashtami at Nand Bhavan Temple in Mathura's Nandgaon also offered prayers on Tuesday night.
"As per our tradition, Janmashtami is celebrated 8 days after Rakshabandhan in Nandgaon. Only priests&sevadars are celebrating as the temple is closed for public," said a priest at Nand Bhavan Temple
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanth of Uttar Pradesh also offered prayers to Lord Krishna at Gorakhnath Temple on the occasion of Krishna Janmashtami, in Gorakhpur on Tuesday night.
Foreign devotees helped in decoration and making arrangements for Janmashtami at Sri Radhe Kunj Ashram in Chaitanya Vihar of Vrindavan on Wednesday. 
Janmashtami this year will be celebrated amid COVID-19 norms to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
