Sabarimala temple to reopen on June 14, devotees allowed only through virtual queue system

Sabrimala Temple will open on Tuesday and devotees will be allowed only through the virtual queue system and will be regulated in compliance with the current COVID-19 guidelines. Maximum of 200 persons will be allowed to have darshan at the temple and only 50 persons would be allowed near the sanctum sanctorum and small groups of 5 would be let inside for darshan.

Thiruvananthapuram: After more than 75 days, Sabarimala Temple is all set to be opened for Ayyappa devotees on June 14. Darshan will be allowed only through the virtual queue system and will be regulated in compliance with the current COVID guidelines.

With worship centres in Kerala set to reopen from Tuesday for pilgrims, the government and Devaswom boards decided to strictly restrict pilgrims at major temples like Sabarimala Ayyappa temple through advance reservation and to insist on a no-COVID certificate from pilgrims from other state.

The shrine temple is to be opened for Midhunamasa pooja (the monthly pooja for the month of Midhunam in Malayalam calendar) and the temple festival.

At one time, maximum of 200 persons will be allowed to have darshan at the temple and only 50 persons would be allowed near the sanctum sanctorum and small groups of 5 would be let inside for darshan.

The darshan timings would be from 4 am till 1 pm and from 4 pm through 11 pm. Entry to the shrine will be allowed only through Pamba and all other entry points will remain closed.

"Devotees coming from other states for dharshan at the Temple must register with the Kerala Government’s e-Jagratha portal. While registering, they must upload a COVID negative certificate from an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approved laboratory. Dharshan will be allowed only in total compliance with the COVID guidelines in the State," said Kerala Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran.

Online booking must be done to get appam and aravana prasadam. Special arrangements would be made to facilitate Neyyabhishekam. After offering ghee for abhishekam, the devotees can get ghee after abhishekam from the counter.

The elderly Sabarimala Temple priests have been exempted from the regulation denying dharshan to those above 65 years, the Minister clarified.

KSRTC buses would operate till Pamba. Devotees can also reach in private vehicles up to Pamba. After the monthly pooja next week and the special rituals thereafter, the temple would be closed on June 28.