Devotees visiting the hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa in Kerala’s Sabarimala will have to carry a negative Covid-19 certificate of test conducted 48 hours prior to their arrival, CM Pinarayi Vijayan said.
File photo of devotees at the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in Kerala (Photo Credits: PTI)
The hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa in Kerala’s Sabarimala is set to open its doors to devotees after nearly six months. Entry to the hill shrine was barred owing to the nationwide lockdown first enforced on March 24 to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters that devotees will have to book ‘darshan’ time using the virtual queue system. He went on to add that those looking to visit the hill shrine will have to carry Covid-19 negative certificates and health certificates to prove that they can undertake the trek.
Pilgrims will have to produce Covid-19 negative certificates of tests conducted 48 hours prior to their arrival at the shrine of Lord Ayyappa in Sabarimala.
While the shrine will open at 5 pm on Friday, devotees will be allowed to enter only after 5 am on Saturday morning, news agency PTI said quoting sources in the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the shrine.
October 17, when the hill shrine will open for five-day monthly pujas, also marks the first day of Malayalam month ‘Thulam’.
According to information made public by the TDB and the Kerala government, only 250 devotees will be allowed to pray at the hill shrine in Sabarimala each day. They will also be asked to carry masks, sanitisers and gloves.
Apart from the deployment of additional police personnel, medical staff has also been stationed at hospitals in Nilackal, Pamba and Sannidhanam as a precaution.
(With inputs from PTI)