Sabarimala Temple Opens For Devotees From Today; Know About Covid-19 Safety Arrangements

The Sabarimala Temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa is open for devotees from today. Pilgrims will have to follow strict Covid-19 precautions.

Written By : ABP News Bureau | Updated at : 16 Nov 2020 09:18 AM (IST)

Sabarimala Temple Open For Devotees From Today; Know Covid-19 safety norms Sabarimala Temple Opens For Devotees From Today; Know About Covid-19 Safety Arrangements

Image (Twitter/ANI)

New Delhi: After months of shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, devotees can now visit the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimala. While the temple opened for the annual two-month-long Mandala-Makaravillakku season on Sunday, pilgrims could start visiting from today morning amid strict Covid-19 regultions. A report by PTI said that Melshanti A K Sudheer Namboothiri opened the doors of the sanctum sanctorum and lit the lamps at 5 pm in the presence of Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, heralding the start of the 62-day long pilgrim season. ALSO READ: Face Masks & Social Distancing Compulsory, Physical Offering Of 'Prasad' Prohibited: Check SOPs For Religious Places Opening In Maharashtra Initially, only 1000 pilgrims will be allowed in a day. Travancore Devaswom Board had earlier announced that the number of pilgrims visiting the temple on Mandavilakku & Makaravilakku days will be increased to 5000. Some of the Covid-19 arrangements include

Devotees will have to book through a virtual queue system
Only 1000 pilgrims will be allowed to offer prayers in a day
Pilgrims will have to carry Covid-19 negative certificate taken 24 hours before they reach Nilackkal and Pamba, base camps
Covid-19 kiosks will be open at the base camps for testing
Devottes will not be allowed to stay at the temple premises.
During Saturdays and Sundays, 2000 people would be allowed darshan
Antigen test facilities will be available in various centres including all bus stands and railway stations at Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruvalla,Chengannur and Kottayam, where pilgrims arrive to proceed to the Ayyappa temple
Those in the 10-60 age group will only be allowed to offer prayers at the shrine
Pilgrims can trek only through Swami Ayyappan road
Doctors, including specialists, will be posted on a rotation basis for seven days each while all other staff will be posted on a rotation basis for 15 days from November 15 to January 19, next year