Thiruvananthapuram: Famous Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple will reopen for the monthly five-day pooja from October 16.
The traditional forest trekking path will be closed this year and devotees will be allowed to enter shrine only through the Swami Ayyappan Road.
The Covid-19 health protocol will have to be strictly followed by the staff, officials and devotees, state police chief Loknath Behera said.
The decision was made, in view of ensuring the COVID regulations and also considering the difficulty in trekking uphill through the forest pathway wearing masks, in a meeting held here on Friday, chaired by the State Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran.
Through the Swami Ayyappan Road via Marakkoottam, the pilgrims can reach Sannidhanam for darshan. After carrying out an antigen test at Nilakkal, the pilgrims who test negative for COVID can trek up the Sabarimala for darshan.
A panel of health workers is to be deputed to carry out the antigen tests and screen the pilgrims.
N Vijayakumar, a member of Travancore Devaswom Board said that the health workers who volunteer for duty at Sabarimala would be identified jointly by the Health Department and the Devaswom Board. Similar regulations and measures would be implemented during the Thulam Masam Pooja (Monthly poojas at the Temple at the start of the Malayalam month of Thulam) in October, Vijayakumar added.
The ghee offerings for the ghee Abhishekam of the deity can be handed over at the special counter arranged for the same and taken back as prasad.
The meeting held on Friday was to decide on the measures to be taken and the COVID protocol to be followed during the Mandala- Makaravilakku pilgrim season at the Temple.
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