Belur Math, the global headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, has discontinued offering prasad to devotees in the afternoon from Monday till April 14 because of the coronavirus outbreak. “Thousands of devotees and visitors come and receive prasad in the afternoon. We have been forced to stop this service with a heavy heart, to prevent accidental spread of the virus,” said Swami Suvirananda, the general secretary of the Math and Mission.

The afternoon prasad is distributed from Ma Sarada Sadabrata Bhawan, a multi-storeyed hall in the northern corner of the Math premises. The building was inaugurated in 2016 to cater to the rising number of devotees who would queue up for prasad.

“This has been a part of naranarayan seva for us. Since devotees turn up from across the world, we are not taking chances,” the general secretary said.

Devotees will be asked to offer their pranam at Sri Ramakrishna temple and come out fast. During the evening arati, the devotees will not be allowed to sit inside the temple.

“They may stand in front of the big display screens and witness the arati,” a monk said. Devotees will also not be allowed to meet the president of the order, Swami Smaranananda, for the time being.

Two killed in accidents

Two men died in separate accidents in the city on Saturday. A 37-year-old man died after a minibus ran him over at the crossing of Brabourne Road and Canning Street in the Burrabazar area late on Saturday, police said. The man has been identified as Sheikh Hiru Ali. He was declared dead at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, police said. A 28-year-old pedestrian died after a heavy goods vehicle hit him near the crossing of Diamond Harbour Road and Annie Sarani in the Thakurpukur area on Saturday, police said. The victim, identified as Ranjit Ghosh, 28, was declared dead at Vidyasagar State General Hospital.

CU virus alert

Calcutta University on Sunday distributed sanitisers and soaps among the boarders of its hostels to so that they maintain hygiene and don’t contract coronavirus.

Seminar

Calcutta University will hold a seminar on choice-based credit system syllabus in Sanskrit on March 25. The workshop would be held at Rittwik Hall, Hardinge Building.