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Mangaluru , Mar 30: Dakshina Kannada Superintendent of Police Laxmi Prasad on Monday suspended a constable attached to Subramanya Police Station for manhandling the chief priest of Kukke Subramanya Temple on Saturday.

According to the police, when the priest Srinivas Bhat was on his way to the temple to offer Puja, Prasad, a police constable intercepted him and enquired where he was going during the lockdown period and then charged at him with lathi on his hand and back.

The priest, then immediately filed a complaint at local police station, following which a complaint was also brought to the notice of Deputy SP of Puttur Sub-division.Please lo

Bengaluru, May 21: With temples yet to open for devotees as coronavirus restrictions are in place, the Karnataka government is preparing for live streaming of sevas (service) and poojas offered to deities at temples that comes under the state's Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Department.

The government has also decided to develop an app and web-based software with an intention to provide information to devotees regarding temples, also to facilitate online donations and advance booking for various sevas offered there.

Regarding online live streaming, Commissioner of the Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowment Department has written to the Deputy Commissioners of all the districts and Executive Officers seeking a list of temples that comes under their jurisdiction where such facility can be provided.

"It has been intended to do online live streaming of sevas and pooja rituals at temples that come under the department in the backdrop of COVID-19 crisis. In this regard it is requested to provide a list of temples where online live facility can be provided to devotees, by abiding the traditions and practices of the temple," the letter said.

Though the temples are holding daily poojas and rituals, they are not open to public for now, with COVID-19 induced lockdown restrictions in place.

Officials had recently had stated that the department was planning to have a standard operating procedure (SOP) in place, that needs to be followed at temples in a post lockdown scenario, once they are opened for the public.

There are over 34,000 temples in the state that come under the department.

Meanwhile, in another letter to DCs of 15 districts, also Executive officers and administrators of 'A' grade temples, aimed at development of app and web-based software, the Commissioner has sought information regarding sevas offered at temples in their jurisdictions and those sevas for which option can be provided for devotees to do advance booking.