New Delhi: The Sri Dharma Sanstha temple at Sabarimala in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district will open on Monday evening for the two-month-long Mandala-Makaravilakku festival amid strict COVID-19 norms.
Devotees will be allowed to visit the temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa from Tuesday.
Health Minister Veena George said on Sunday that elaborate arrangements have been made to contain the possible spread of the Covid virus after the pilgrims visit the temple.
“At the state level, special meetings were called in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam and Idukki districts to coordinate activities. Health department officials are being deployed at the treatment centers from Pamba to Sannidhanam. These centers will be operational from Monday,” news agency ANI quoted Health Minister Veena George as saying on Sunday.
Special dispensaries have also been arranged at Sannidhanam, Pampa, Nilakkal, Charalamedu (Ayappan Road), Erumeli, George.
According to state officials, those wishing to visit the temple must have a complete vaccination certificate or a negative RT-PCR test report of the last 72 hours. An official told news agency PTI that the pilgrims will also have to show their Aadhaar card to enter the temple.
Earlier, it was decided to allow 30,000 pilgrims to visit the Sabarimala temple on a daily basis. However, due to the prevailing climatic conditions, it has been decided to cut this number, the sources said. A decision in this regard will be taken by the police and the Travancore Devaswom Board on Monday.
As rains continue in some parts of Kerala, it has been decided that devotees will be allowed to take a dip in the Pamba river only after the water level recedes. Trekking to Sabarimala temple is allowed only through Swami Ayyappan road.
The Sabarimala temple will first open for the 41-day Mandala festival which will end on December 26. It will re-open for the Makaravilakku festival on December 30, allowing devotees to visit the temple till January 20, ANI quoted sources as saying.
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