The Siddhivinayak Temple, one of the most visited shrines in Mumbai, will remain closed for devotees till further notice in view of the coronavirus outbreak in Maharashtra, it was announced on Monday.
The Tuljabhavani Temple, another popular shrine in Maharashtra located in Osmanabad district, will remain shut for devotees from March 17 to 31, an official told.
The decision comes in the backdrop of the Maharashtra government appealing to people to avoid crowding and mass gatherings as part of measures to prevent spread of the viral infection.
The Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai's central area of Prabhadevi, dedicated to Lord Ganesh, attracts hundreds of devotees everyday and is especially crowded on Tuesdays.
Siddhivinayak Temple trust chairman Adesh Bandekar said the number of coronavirus cases is increasing rapidly worldwide.
"Thousands and lakhs of people come to the Siddhivinayak Temple to pay respect. In the current situation, it is our responsibility to deal with the crisis (coronavirus outbreak).
"Hence, the trust has decided that the temple will be closed for worship till further notice," said Bandekar.
Maharashtra has till now reported 37 positive cases of the novel coronavirus.
In spite of the coronavirus outbreak, 13,000 devotees visited the Tuljabhavani Temple on Sunday, said the shrine's Assistant Public Relations Officer, Nagesh Shitole.
"Hence, a meeting of the managing committee was held today and it was decided to shut the temple for devotees from Tuesday (March 17) to March 31," he said.
