Veerappan's daughter Vidya Rani Joins BJP

Mangaluru, Jun 7: The Sri Krishna temple at Udupi would not re-open on June 8 although permission has been given to all temples to allow devotees for darshan, Admaru mutt junior seer Paryaya Swami Ishapriya Teertha said on Saturday. He told reporters in Udupi that the mutt has decided not to allow devotees at present to join the fight against COVID-19 by the government, health department and the police.

The seer said the situation would be assessed in the next 20-30 days after which a decision to re-open the place of worship would be taken.

The health of the devotees and the staff at the mutt and temple would have to be protected.

However, pujas and rituals would continue to be held at the temple, he said.

Meanwhile, Dharmasthala dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade said in a press release that the Lord Manjunatheshwara temple in Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district would open for devotees from June 8. He said 800-1,000 devotees would be allowed to have darshan at the temple every day, keeping with the regulations of the government.

Mass-feeding (annadhanam) in the Annapoorna hall would also be organised, maintaining social distance in view of the virus spread.

Bengaluru, Apr 13: Fifteen new positive cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Karnataka, taking the total number of affected in the state to 247, the Health department said on Monday.

"Fifteen new positive cases have been reported from last evening to this noon.... Till date 247 COVID-19 positive cases have been confirmed. This includes 6 deaths and 59 discharges," the department said in a mid-day situation report.

Among the 15 new cases thirteen are contacts of patients already tested positive, while one from Dodabballapura in Bengaluru Rural is with a travel history to Delhi, the other from Bengaluru city has Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI).

Among the 13 contact cases tested positive four are from Hubballi in Dharwad district, three each from Malavalli in Mandya district and Raibag in Belagavi, two each from Bidar, and one from Mudhol in Bagalkote district.

Three out of 15 new cases are children- a 8 year-old girl from Malavalli in Mandya, 16-year old girl from Bidar and 14-year old boy from Raibag in Belagavi.

From across the state most number of infections have been reported in Bengaluru with 77, followed by Mysuru (48) and Belagavi (17).

Those discharged include 27 patients from Bengaluru, nine from Mysuru, seven from Dakshina Kannada, six from Chikkaballapura, three from Davangere, two each from Uttara Kannada and Kalaburagi, and one each from Udupi, Dharwad and Kodagu.

Among the dead, two are from Kalaburagi and one each from Bengaluru, Bagalkote, Gadag and Tumakuru.