- Title: Popular Buddhist temple in India reopens after months of coronavirus shutdown
- Date: 28th August 2021
- Summary: BODH GAYA, BIHAR, INDIA (AUGUST 27, 2021) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) UNESCO (UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION) WORLD HERITAGE AND BUDDHIST PILGRIMAGE SITE, MAHABODHI TEMPLE DEVOTEES STANDING OUTSIDE TEMPLE AS SOME WALK DEVOTEES ENTERING TEMPLE PREMISES MAHABODHI TEMPLE DESERTED TEMPLE PREMISES STATUE OF LORD BUDDHA VARIOUS OF MONKS OFFERING PRAYERS (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) SECRETARY, BODH GAYA TEMPLE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, NANGZEY DORJEE, SAYING: "We had to, unfortunately, keep the (Mahabodhi) temple closed since around last April for everyone's safety. The good thing is that from today the temple has been reopened at normal timings from 5am (GMT1130 ) to 9(GMT 0330) in the evening so we did proper preparations and it was reopened." VARIOUS OF POLICEMEN CONDUCTING SECURITY CHECKS WITH METAL DETECTORS BODHI TREE UNDER WHICH LORD BUDDHA ATTAINED ENLIGHTENMENT (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) DEVOTEE, ANURAG KUMAR, SAYING: "It feels really good that today we came here for the first time, on the first day as it (Mahabodhi Temple) reopened. We came here to visit and it feels really good. The temple was closed for many days so the devotees and the tourists who wanted to come could not come. It is good that it reopened now so people will come here to visit and the local who make their livelihood from here can earn well." DEVOTEES AND MONK WALKING IN TEMPLE PREMISES MAHABODHI TEMPLE
- Embargoed: 11th September 2021 07:29
- Keywords: Bodh Gaya India Mahabodhi Temple coronavirus health pandemic temple
- Location: BODH GAYA, BIHAR, INDIA
- City: BODH GAYA, BIHAR, INDIA
- Country: India
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA001ES70LLB
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Mahabodhi Temple in India's eastern Buddhist pilgrimage center of Bodh Gaya reopened on Friday (August 27) after being shut down for months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Devotees, including tourists, were happy with the reopening of the temple as they visited the holy site to offer prayers to Lord Buddha after being shut down in April to curb the spread of the virus.
The reopening of the temple will allow tourists to visit the site and help people dependent on the temple for earnings earn a livelihood, said a devotee, Anurag Kumar.
The Mahabodhi temple complex is revered by the Buddhists, since Lord Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment here.
In the year 2002, UNESCO declared Mahabodhi Temple as a World Heritage Site.
India on Saturday (August 28) reported 46,759 new coronavirus infections, the most in nearly two months. The South Asian country's total COVID-19 cases reached nearly 32.7 million and deaths rose by 509 to 437,370 in the last 24 hours, government data showed. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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