Following closure, the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala is preparing to open for the first time on October 16 for a five-day monthly pooja, said the Travancore Devasom Board (TDB) that manages the hilltop shrine. There will be strict restrictions for pilgrims: only registered devotees will be allowed and a maximum of 250 of them will be allowed in a single day.
All pilgrims must carry negative Covid-19 certificates obtained 48 hours before arriving at Pambha, the base camp, and those who arrive without certificates must undergo a test and wait for their results, said the TDB adding that the virtual queue registration will start from Saturday. night. Bathing in the Pamba River will not be allowed and no one will be able to stay on top of the hill. TDB has also established a small hospital for those who test positive for viral infection.
Confusion still persists in the masks with doctors who have warned that a mask will cause problems for devotees when they climb steep heights and can disturb their breathing process. From Pambha base camp, devotees will have to walk five km to reach the top of the hill and some of the sections are really steep. Despite installing oxygen rooms every year, many pilgrims die of heart failure. Last year, 30 pilgrims died of heart-related ailments. The TDB said the body designated by the Superior Court will be contacted to obtain more clarity on the masks.
The temple was closed to devotees on March 18, a week before the first closure was set. In June there were plans to open the sanctuary, but it was postponed after many organizations and the temple’s tantri (high priest) objected. One of the richest temples in the country, Sabarimala revenues are generally used to fund smaller temples and for the salaries of Travancore Devasom Board (TDB) employees. The temple closure had caused enough trouble for TDB and its 3,500 employees.
“We will closely monitor the situation. Based on the five-day opening, we will make a decision on the annual pilgrimage season starting in November. We will increase the number of pilgrims based on the comments we receive now, ”said TDB President N Vasu.
During the last pilgrimage season, from October 2019 to January 2020, the total income of the temple was 263.57 million rupees. Aravana payasam, a black kheer made from rice, brown sugar, ghee, and cardamom, constitutes 60% of the temple’s income.
Pilgrims from five southern Indian states crowd the temple, and it is often considered the largest seasonal pilgrimage after Mecca. At the peak of the season, at least 5-8 lakh people visit the shrine in one day. The temple had witnessed large-scale riots in 2018 after the Supreme Court lifted the age-old tradition of banning women of reproductive age. A larger court bank is hearing the matter now.
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