Up to 246 people have booked through the virtual queue system for darshan on Saturday.
Thiruvananthapuram:
The Sabarimala temple in Kerala reopened to the public on Saturday, during a five-day monthly pooja, after seven months of closure due to the Covid shutdown. Devotees wishing to visit the hilltop shrine must wear face masks at all times and carry negative COVID-19 certificates.
A maximum of 250 people will be allowed inside the temple every day; today up to 246 registered online for a darshan. In addition, only people between 10 and 60 years old will be allowed to visit.
Strict protocols have been put in place at the famous hilltop shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa amid a growing number of virus cases in the state. Rapid antigen testing is underway at Nilackal Base Camp for those who do not have a negative test report.
Special arrangements have also been made to perform rituals, including “neyyabhishekam” (ghee abhishekam) and “annadanam” (the sacred tradition of offering food), while adhering to COVID-19 protocols.
Only people between the ages of 10 and 60 will be able to visit the sanctuary on the hill.
Other protocols include a mandatory certificate of aptitude (which must be dated no more than 48 hours before darshan). Regular bathing in the Pamba River has been discontinued and overnight stays are also not allowed in “sannidhanam” (main temple facilities) or in the base camps, Pamba or Nilackal.
“Devotees will not be allowed to take a dip in the Pamba river. Instead, shower systems will be installed in Erumely and Pamba for them to bathe,” Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, according to the PTI news agency.
Kerala, which was praised for its handling of the outbreak in its early stages, has seen a sharp increase in new cases since last month. More than three lakh of confirmed cases have been recorded in the state since the first case was reported in January.
Regular poojas will be held for the next five days, starting today, which is also the first day of the Malayalam “Thulam” month. The annual season of “Mandala Makaravilakku” will begin on November 16.
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