April 19,2021
As India struggles with the second wave of the coronavirus, several temples across the nation have come forward to offer aid and assistance to fight this battle.
As new cases of Covid-19 surge in Gujarat, BAPS Swaminarayan Temple of Vadodara has converted its Yagnapurush Sabhagruh to a Covid-19 facility. The Covid-19 care centre is equipped with 500 beds, oxygen facilities like liquid oxygen tanks and piped oxygen lines, ICU beds and ventilators.
The facility that has been operational since April 13 has so far admitted 45 Covid-19 patients from a nearby hospital for further treatment.
Gyan Vatsal Swami of the Shri Swaminarayan Temple informed, “We are providing all the non-medical facilities for patients. We have arranged for oxygen and ventilators including the ICU rooms apart from fans and air-coolers. Currently, 300 beds are operational and 200 will be added soon.”
Puri Shri Jagannath Temple
Puri’s Shree Jagannath Temple Administration has decided to convert its Nilachal Bhakta Nivas into a Covid-19 Care . This facility with 120 beds will also act as a dedicated centre for servitors and officials associated with the temple infected with the coronavirus.
Apart from this, the temple had pledged a donation of Rs 1.51 crore towards the Chief Minister Relief Fund to aid the government in this fight. A letter by the temple registration read, “As per the decision of the Managing Committee of Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri, an amount of Rs.1,51.00.000/- (One crore fifty-one lakh) is contributed towards Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for COVID-19 from Temple Administration.”
Along with Jagannath Puri, 62 other smaller temples in Orissa had donated to the CMRF.
Pawan Dham converts its 4-storey building
The Pawandham Temple in Mumbai’s Kandivali has once again converted its four-storey building into a Covid-19 quarantine centre equipped with 100 beds. Out of the 100, 50 beds are equipped with an oxygen concentrator unit, oximeters, pulse metre, portable BP apparatus, monitor machine among others. Additionally, more than 50 medical staff including 10 doctors are deployed in the facility.
Santosh Singh, a Managing Committee Member of the temple says, “We have so far got 50 beds ready, we have tied up with Apex Hospital for healthcare support like doctors, medical staff. All we are waiting for is the critical oxygen supply before that comes we can’t start. Assurance has been given by some suppliers but let’s see.”
The temple which was converted into a covid centre last year as well, had treated more than 2000 patients.
Other temples
Kashi Vishwanath Temple which is one of the holiest shrines for Hindus had been feeding the patients suffering from Covid-19.
The famous Sarangpur Hanuman Mandir In the Botad district of Gujarat, had converted its Dharamshala into a 100-bed hospital to tend to the coronavirus patients last year.
Last year too, when the pandemic’s first wave had hit the country, many Hindu temples had poured in crores of rupees in donations, had provided food and shelter for the needy and had stood up to support the nation through the crisis.
Source : Opindia
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