Priests from Baba Baidhyanathdham Temple in Deoghar called on chief minister Hemant Soren, seeking financial and other assistance now that it is fairly certain that this year's annual Shravani mela is unlikely to be the grand affair it usually is because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Religious, and places of worship still haven’t been allowed to open, even as Unlock 2 began in the state from Wednesday.

For hundreds of pandas (priests), the annual Shravani Mela at the Deoghar temple, held from the first week of July, is one of the biggest sources of livelihood. The month-long fair attracts over 50 lakh devotees worldwide every year.

However, this year’s mela is almost set to become a no-show, even though the Jharkhand high court will deliver its judgement on Thursday in response to a PIL filed by Godda MP Nishikant Dubey to reopen the temple.

Priests, under the banner of Panda Dhramarakshini, met Hemant at his office at Project Building on Wednesday afternoon. General secretary of the outfit Kartik Nath Thakur told the media that they have demanded financial assistance. “The CM heard our problems and assured us that things will be taken care of. He said that the Deoghar district administration has been asked to work in this regard. Thousands are directly or indirectly dependent on Deoghar temple for their livelihoods,” Thakur said.

Hemant, on the other hand, urged the priests to support the fight against Covid-19, confirming that the state government is unlikely to open the temple anytime soon. In an official statement, the chief minister said, “The government has decided not to host Shravani Mela this time in the wake of Covid-19. The fair attracts lakhs of people and curbing the virus spread will be difficult. I apologise to Baba Bholenath for not hosting the fair this time.”