Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh): Priests offered prayers on Friday at ancient Nagchandreshwar Temple on the second floor of Mahakaleshwar Temple on Naag Panchami.

Special aarti was performed here without devotees. The priests also wore masks and ensured social distancing to ward of Covid-19.

Naag Panchami is a day of traditional worship of snakes observed by Hindus across India. It is regarded as a festival to strengthen the bond between humans and nature. The worship is offered on the fifth day of the lunar month of Shravana, according to the Hindu calendar.

The gates of Ujjain’s Nagchandreshwar Temple were opened at midnight on Thursday and were closed at midnight on Friday.

“The gates of Nagchandreshwar temple open only on the occasion of Naag Panchami. We pray that Lord Nagchandreshwar keeps everyone safe amid the Covid-19 crisis,” said Mahanirwani Akhada Mahant Vinit Giri.

Due to COVID-19 outbreak, devotees were not allowed to enter into the Nagchandreshwar temple. LED screens were erected outside the Mahakaleshwar Temple so that visitors can have darshan of the presiding deities. Online darshan arrangements were made on behalf of the Mahakaleshwar Temple Management Committee.

Divisional commissioner Sandeep Yadav, collector Asheesh Singh, SP Satyendra Kumar Shukla and ADM Narendra Suryavanshi along with their wives performed customary afternoon aarti.

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