Devotees throng Guruvayur temple as it reopens on Ashtami Rohini

The Lord Krishna temple in Guruvayur in Kerala was opened today on the occasion of Ashtami Rohini or Sree Krishna Janmashtami. As part of the COVID-19 protocol, the temple authorities started allowing darshan for 1,000 people from today after they registered themselves through an online portal.

Thrissur (Tamil Nadu): Around a thousand devotees thronged the Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple in Thrissur district of Kerala, to offer prayers to the presiding deity Guruvayoorappan on Sree Krishna Janmashtami.

The entry of devotees to the temple complex, the rituals and the poojas in connection with the Sree Krishna Janmashtami were all carried out complying with the COVID-19 guidelines in place.

Sree Krishna Janmashtami falling on the Ashtami Rohini day of the Malayalam month of Chingam, this year on September 10, is believed to be the birthday of Lord Krishna, the ninth incarnation of Lord Mahavishnu.

The Guruvayur Devaswom started allowing darshan at the temple for up to 1,000 devotees through online booking from today.

The temple was closed on March 24 when the nation-wide lockdown was implemented and was opened for five days in June.

On Thursday, the devotees were allowed to enter the temple complex through the virtual queue system. The customary 'Uri adi' (breaking the pot) usually done on the town roads, and the Janmashtami procession was avoided this time owing to COVID regulations.

Read:With no dear ones and no government aid, Onam was worse for transgenders

Instead, the persons who donned themselves as Sree Krishnan and Kuchelan from Mammiyur Temple reached the temple and bowed before the deity. Thereafter, they visited many houses in Guruvayur premises and broke the uris (pots) readied at the respective houses.

Two of the main offerings at the Guruvayur temple, Appam and Pal Payasam, were distributed to the devotees.

The Swarna Kolam (Gold idol) was also taken out for the special Kazhcha Seeveli procession inside the Temple, in which only one elephant participated.

Every year, for the Sree Krishna Janmashtami, more than 50,000 appams and pal payasam worth Rs 14.5 lakh used to be given in offering to the deity.

On the day of Ashtami Rohini, usually more than 30,000 devotees are served a sumptuous feast as Prasada Oottu. This time owing to the COVID-19 regulations, no such celebrations and festivities were conducted at the temple.

Read:Despite Onam, Kerala's 'pappadam' makers still facing COVID blues