Belur Math will be open to devotees and others from August 18, senior monks of the order said on Tuesday.

The global headquarters of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission has been shut since April 22 following a renewed surge in Covid cases. The authorities made an exception on July 24, on the occasion of Guru Purnima.

“Visitors and devotees turning up at the Math will have to produce a certificate showing they have received two doses of a Covid vaccine. They will also have to show an identity proof,” said Swami Suvirananda, the general secretary of the Math and Mission.

“Otherwise, a Covid negative result of an RT-PCR test will have to be produced along with an identity proof.”

The test has to be conducted within 72 hours before the visit to the Math. The proof of identity can be the Aadhaar card, PAN card or the voter card, Math officials said.

The Math will remain open from 8am to 11am and again from 4pm to 5.45pm.

Visitors will be allowed to offer pranam at Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Sarada Devi, Swami Vivekananda and Swami Brahmananda temples.

The Pally Mangal stall and the book store will be open, too.

“Since large-scale congregation at places of worship is not allowed, no devotee or visitor will be allowed to participate in the evening prayer at the Sri Ramakrishna temple,” Swami Suvirananda said.

No visitor will be allowed to meet Swami Smaranananda, the president of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, and other senior monks.

Belur Math is home to around 300 monks and 250 employees.