KOLKATA, INDIA, April 12, 2020 (Indian Express): The nationwide lockdown imposed on March 25 to contain the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has left Hindu priests in the city in distress as their earnings have dried up. In normal times, they earn a relatively significant amount of money in March and April, when several religious festivals and weddings are held. However, because of the pandemic, temples have closed, rituals usually organized at home have been cancelled and weddings scheduled in April have been indefinitely postponed.
“When I first heard about the lockdown, it impacted my mental health. We are really suffering,” said Gautam Chakraborty, a city-based priest. However, he is one of the more fortunate ones. Like many of his colleagues, Chakraborty does another job on the side to compensate for his meagre income. He reads astrology charts, and is now subsisting on the money he has managed to save over the years. “Many priests do other jobs because it is not possible to earn by only doing rituals,” said Prasenjit Mukherjee, a committee member of the Paschim Banga Rajya Sanatan Brahman Trust, one of the largest organizations of priests in the state. “Those who are totally dependent on this profession for their livelihood are facing more problems. We don’t have fixed rates for our services, so our lives have been severely impacted.”
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