Pathanamthitta : Amid COVID-19 pandemic, Kerala’s Sabarimala temple is all set to reopen its doors to devotees during the Malayalam month of Thulam for five days from October 16. However, only 250 people will be allowed to enter the temple for prayers per day citing social distancing norms.
The Travancore Devasom Board (TBD) issued guidelines, according to which only 250 people will be allowed to enter the temple for prayers per day. For the visit online booking will be done on a first-come-first-served basis. The virtual portal for the bookings has already been opened for the devotees.
According to the Board, all devotees need to take a COVID-19 test at least 48 hours before reaching the hilltop shrine. Implying social distancing protocols, all the pilgrims have to produce a negative certificate. The arrangements for sanitizers, soap, and water have been made at various points. For the pilgrims arriving without the certificate will have to take the COVID-19 test at the base camp at Nilakkal. The ritual of bathing Pampa River is also banned by the government and instead it has arranged for temporary showers for visitors. The TBD also exclaimed that toilet and bathroom facilities have been set up at Pampa, Nilakkal, and Sannidhanam.
The devotees will be allowed to ascend and descend through the route of Swami Ayyappan Road and special marks have been put in place for devotees to perform darshan at Sannidhanam in accordance with the COVID-19 social distancing guidelines. TBD has also mentioned that no accommodation will be provided to the devotees at Sabarimala.