About 1.5 people lakh visited the Devi Ekvira Temple in Karla in Lonavla between 5am and 17:00 on Sunday, threw Covid norms to the wind, said breastfeeding officials on Monday.
The Indian Archaeological Survey (ASI) is now planning talks with district authorities to put hats on visitors at the monument reporting density.
“Visits on Sunday are part of religious tourism.
There are several visitors to Karla’s best leading to the Ekvira Devi temple.
From almost 1.5 lakh people visiting the temple on Sundays, most of them do not wear masks, and there is no social distance , “said a senior ASI official.
The official suggested an increase in police vigilance in the location during the festive days.
“Nearly 100 personnel are in the caves on Sundays to manage the crowds, but all efforts fall flat.
This situation is terrible and unknown how many of it might contribute to the spread of Covid,” he said.
The official said Karla’s cave had a relatively smaller area, so the district authority had to apply the number of people who visited these places during the festival.
Other ASI officials said the people who visited the Temple on Sundays were there to pay homage to Dewi because of the Navaratra Festival.
“The temple place, directly from the gate to the parking lot, is crowded.
The crowd lasts for 12 hours on Sundays, and starts thinning just after 5 pm,” he said.
Only 600 tickets sold for Karla cave on Sundays, but thousands of entry without a ticket, other officials said, added, “There is also no room at the ticket table because of those who cracked.” District collector Pune Rajesh Deshmukh said, “We must follow the appropriate behavior of Covid.
If this is repeated, the authorities can limit the number of tourists.”