Original title: severe haze, a temple in Varanasi, India, 'wearing masks' for gods
The air pollution in India, including New Delhi, is very serious these two days. A temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, has also taken measures to protect the statue from haze: wearing masks, RT reported Thursday.
Rt said that people recently set off a lot of firecrackers in the celebration of the Diwali festival, further aggravating air pollution. Recently, photos of the gods wearing masks in the "Shiva Parvati Temple" in Varanasi have been circulated on social media in India.
Why wear masks for the gods? RT quoted a person in charge of the temple to explain that when winter comes, people often provide cold blankets for the gods, so the temple staff believed that the gods should also be provided with masks to prevent haze.
'Varanasi is a place of faith. We regard our idols as living gods and try to make them happy and comfortable. In summer, we put Sandalwood oil on the statue to keep it cool; in winter, we cover it with blankets. Similarly, in order to deal with air pollution, we put masks on its face. '
According to the person in charge, believers began to imitate the holy image and put masks on themselves, which improved the awareness of young and old people to prevent haze, the report said.
In recent days, India has encountered many air quality crises. Indian authorities announced a public health emergency in New Delhi and surrounding areas Monday. Schools in New Delhi began to close on the 1st, and construction activities in the city were also required to stop until the 5th. Authorities also banned firecrackers in the city until the end of February next year.