We all know pollution is a man-made disaster. While there are protests and campaigns around the world regarding climate injustice, pictures of idols in a Varanasi temple are becoming viral for a strange reason.
The reason is the head priest of the temple felt that if the Gods are adorned with blankets in winter, why not use a mask to protect them from pollution. In case you are frowning your eyebrows and couldn’t believe your eyes, you can go to the popular Shiv-Parvati temple in the Sigra area of Varanasi.
Apart from jewelry, the idols’ faces were covered with masks because of the rising air pollution across North India. You can see Goddess Durga, Lord Shiva and Sai Baba wearing masks.
Post-Diwali celebrations, the PM 2.5 levels rose in the city and therefore, the head priest decided to protect the Gods from the pollution, mentioned several reports from local media outlets.
The reports also claimed that, after seeing the idols, many devotees and visitors also started wearing the masks. He also believes that his act of putting masks on idols’ faces is raising awareness among children and adults.
According to an India Today report, more than 10,000 stubble burning incidents were recorded pan India in the past one week, 80 percent from Punjab.
Further, a Union government scientist has claimed that the speed of upper winds around 80km/hr was so much that the smoke from the fields blew over the capital and ended up in the skies of the Varanasi region. This will continue for some time. It will drop till November 7 and then again pick up, mentioned an Indian Express report.