Senior monks at Belur Math have appealed to visitors to strictly adhere to the norms of physical distancing and avoid huddles on the campus of the headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission.

Devotees and others will be allowed to visit Belur Math, which has remained close for nearly six months, from Wednesday.

According to the new timings, the Math will remain open from 8.30am to 11am and again from 3.30pm to 5.15pm. Between October and March, the Math usually remains open from 8.30am to 11.30am and from 3.30pm to 5.30pm.

Initially, only four temples on the Math premises will be open to visitors — the temples of Sri Ramakrishna, Holy Mother, Swami Brahmananda and Swami Vivekananda. Bhog will not be distributed for now.

“We will appeal to everyone visiting the Math to abide by the norms of social distancing and use hand sanitisers and masks,” said Swami Suvirananda, the general secretary of Ramakrishna Math and Mission.

“Within 45 days of opening the gates of the Math in June, several monks had tested positive for Covid. The gates had to be closed again on August 2. We don't want a repeat of that.”

Monks said arrangements had been made across the compound to ensure adequate supply of hand sanitisers, right from the main entrance. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) has been drawn up on how to regulate visitors’ movement.

The body temperature of every visitor will be checked with hand-held thermal scanners.

Around 300 monks stay on the Math premises and close to 250 others work there.

“We would like to wait and see how things play out. If there is no fresh case of coronavirus infection this time, we will gradually relax the timings,” Swami Suvirananda said.

Monks and brahmacharies have been asked to ensure there is no crowding at any of the four temples where visitors will be allowed and at the Pally Mangal stall, which will be accessible to visitors.