Footfalls dip in Sringeri, tourism hit

The district authorities have taken up an awareness drive to check the spread of coronavirus. People have been told not to crowd themselves and to maintain hygiene.

Municipal Commissioner Chandrashekhar said that pamphlets had been distributed in the city about the precautions to be taken for checking the spread of infection. On the other hand, people wearing mask has become a common scene in the city.

District in-charge minister C T Ravi will hold a meeting in the city on Saturday for assessing the coordination among various departments, at the auditorium of the DC’s office at 11 am. There had been a significant decline in the number of devotees visiting Sringeri. Roads wear a deserted look in the temple town and tourism has taken a severe beating. The guesthouses and offices of Sharada Peeta have been closed till further orders.

However, devotees can have darshan of the two seers in Gurubhavan and food is also being served in the noon. But, only a handful of people are seen in the temple complex. The buses coming from Bengaluru are bringing a large number of local people back to their native place. So far 10 people who have returned from abroad are checked at the government hospital. A separate ward has been set up in the hospital for the infected. The “Laksha Gayatri Homa” organised by Sringeri taluk Brahmana Mahasabha on March 21 and 22 has been postponed.