An Indian Village Residents Pray To "Corona Goddess" To Save Themselves From Virus

JAKARTA - Indian villagers have erected a shrine to the "goddess of corona" and are offering prayers in the hope that God's intervention will ward off the deadly virus.

Worshipers in Shuklapur village in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh have offered prayers, holy water, and flowers at the shrine. the bright yellow temple where they have placed the "Corona Mata" since they built it this week.

"Perhaps with her blessing, the villagers, our village, and everyone else will find relief", said a resident named Sangeeta, quoted by Antara, Sunday, 13 June.

India was hit hard by a spike in coronavirus infections in April and May but there are signs the worst is coming to an end.

Authorities reported 84.332 new cases on Saturday, the lowest daily tally in more than two months, according to health ministry data. COVID-19 has killed 367.081 people in India, according to government data.

The prayers of the villagers of Shuklapur have not been fully answered - there are still a number of cases in the district - but the number is also significantly lower than at the height of the pandemic.