Sabarimala opens for 5000 devotees a day, COVID negative certificate after RTPCR test must

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on Sunday stated that the devotees of Ayyappa will be allowed in Sabarimala Temple from December 26 only after producing a COVID-negative certificate following an RT-PCR test. This decision by TDB has come despite the Kerala High Court granted permission to allow 5,000 pilgrims to visit the temple from Sunday onwards. Earlier COVID-19 negative certificate from antigen test was sufficient for the devotees to visit the shrine. Till Sunday, only 2,000 pilgrims were allowed to visit the temple from Monday to Friday and 3,000 were permitted on weekends.

TDB President N Vasu has said the COVID-19 negative certificate after the RT-PCR test should be less than 48 hours old, prior to the temple visit.

"In view of the Makaravilakku festival season from December 31 to January 19, 2021, devotees who do not have an RT-PCR-negative certificate will not be allowed to climb the hill,” the board president said.

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Kerala Court's order

The Kerala High Court on December 18 raised the number of permissible daily pilgrims at Sabarimala temple to 5000 with effect from December 20. A division bench comprising Justices CT Ravikumar and K Haripal had passed the directions on a batch of writ petitions which challenged the various restriction imposed by the State Government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) with respect to the pilgrimage at the Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala amid the COVID19 situation.

A High-Level Committee chaired by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had decided on October 5 to allow pilgrimage at Sabarimala during the mandalakalam season allowing 1000 daily pilgrims on weekdays and 2000 daily pilgrims on weekends and 5000 daily pilgrims on special pooja days. The pilgrims were required to register through the virtual queue system and to provide COVID negative certificate from an authorized lab.

(with inputs from ANI)

(Image: ANI)

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