Keeping the covid-19 in consideration, the Kerala High Court and state government has directed all the devotees visiting the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa at Sabrimala to carry with them a covid-19 negative certificate after undergoing an RT-PCR test.
The management board — Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has also said that the RT-PCR certificate will only be valid if it’s not taken more than 48 hours prior to pilgrims’ visit to the temple.
“Covid-19-negative certificate after a RT-PCR test, taken not more than 48 hours prior to their visit to the temple, is a must for the pilgrims to visit the shrine. Else they will not be permitted to undertake the pilgrimage,” N Vasu, TDB president, said in a release.
In a relief to devotees, the High Court also raised the number of visitors permissible daily in the temple to 5,000. Meanwhile, with the increase in number of permitted pilgrims at the hill shrine, the State Health Department has also intensified the testing process at Sabrimala as a mean to curb the infection. Only people who are aged between 10 and 60 are allowed to visit the temple as per the SOP released by the Kerala High Court.
To facilitate the devotees, antigen test facilities have been made 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.
However, the number of people participating in the three-day procession in the three-day procession carrying the Thiruvabharanam to be adorned on the idol of Lord Ayyappa during the Makaravilakku ceremony has been limited to 100.
The temple is set to be closed after the Mandala Puja on December 26, that is , today and will only reopen for the Makaravilakku pooja on December 31.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Secretary had approached the Supreme court against the High Court decision which increased the number of permissible daily pilgrims at Sabrimala Temple to 5,000 from 2,000 which was earlier set by a high-level committee.
