Bhopal:The Bhopal administration has allowed religious places outside COVID-19 containment zones in the district to reopen from Monday after a gap of about two- and-a-half months.

In an order issued on Saturday, the district administration said authorities at the religious places need to ensure that social distancing guidelines are followed, and put in place all safety measures.

Devotees will not be allowed to touch the idols or religious books and there would be no distribution of ‘prasad’ (religious offering of food), the order said.

People will need to perform ‘Wudu’ (ablution before prayers) at their homes before visiting mosques, it said.

Religious singing, choirs, recital of Gurbani and any kind of gathering or religious function would not be allowed, it said.

Devotees will have to maintain a distance of six feet from each other, the order said.

All religious places are needed to adhere to the guidelines and standard operating procedures prescribed by the Centre and the state government, it added.

Till Saturday, Bhopal reported 2,145 COVID-19 cases and 69 deaths due to the disease.

Earlier, following the easing of lockdown, religious places in several districts of Madhya Pradesh were allowed to reopen from June 8, but no decision was taken at that time for the state capital Bhopal.

The famous Mahakaleshwar temple in the state’s Ujjain city, located about 175 km from Bhopal, reopened for devotees last week.

The temple, one of the 12 ‘jyotirlingas’ in the country, attracts lakhs of devotees every year.

Press Trust of India