Sabarimala temple reopens today with Covid norms; no spot booking due to rains

Mangalore Today News Network / News18

Sabarimala, Nov 15, 2021: The Sabarimala temple in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district will reopen from Monday for the Mandala-Makaravilakku festival, which will last for two months. The hilltop shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa will open on Monday evening, and people will be able to pay their respects beginning Tuesday.

 

The temple will first be open for the 41-day Mandala puja festival, which will end on December 26. It will reopen on December 30th, with darshan permitted until January 20th for the Makaravilakku festival, according to reports.

State health minister Veena George had said on Sunday that the department has made elaborate preparations for pilgrims in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

If people want to visit the shrine, they must show either a full vaccination certificate or a negative RT-PCR test report that is no more than 72 hours-old. On Sunday, an official told the news agency PTI that all devotees should also show their Aadhaar cards. Due to the Mandala-Makaravilakku festival, security will be increased in and around Sabarimala.

George told ANI on Sunday that at the the state level, special meetings were convened in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki districts to coordinate the activities. “The health department officials are being deployed at treatment centres from Pamba to Sannidhanam," she had said, adding that the services of expert doctors from medical colleges were being ensured in Pamba and Sannidhanam. “These centres will be operational from Monday,” she added.

She said emergency medical centres and oxygen stations would be established in five locations along the route from Pamba to Sannidhanam.

The health minister also stated that anyone experiencing excessive heartbeat, shortness of breath, or chest pain while travelling to the temple should seek medical attention immediately, noting that trained staff nurses and other medical facilities would be available at all times.

Rains: No Spot-booking, Pilgrims to be Limited

But as rains thrash Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said after a meeting of district collectors and officials that number of pilgrims to Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala would be limited for the next three to four days due to the heavy showers.

The ritualistic bathing in the river Pampa will not be allowed as its levels were dangerously high, spot booking will be stopped for the time and changing dates of those who booked through virtual queue system will also be considered to control the flow of pilgrims, the release said.