HAVERI:
Kerala has set
new guidelines for
Sabarimala pilgrims, making
Covid-19 tests mandatory for the visit. Accordingly, K Dayanand, the commissioner for the
Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments Department has issued an advisory for people in the state who plan to join the annual pilgrimage.
Every year, the 41-day annual pilgrimage to Sabarimala begins in mid-November. Lakhs of
devotees from across the country make the journey. This year, the number of visitors has been capped because of the pandemic.
Devotees must first register on the
Sabarimala Temple’s portal, sabarimalaonline.org. Registrations will be approved on a first come, first served basis. On weekdays, 1,000 devotees will be allowed per day. On the weekend, 2,000 will be allowed. The Kerala government has said that those aged below 10 and above 60 and the ailing won’t be granted entry.
According to Dayanand’s advisory, only people who produce a medical certificate stating that they were
Covid-19 negative 48 house before the visit will be permitted for the darshan. Devotees can also undergo a rapid antigen test near entrance points. They will have to pay for this test. “Pilgrims with BPL or Ayushman Bharat cards can seek a free test,” he added.
The Kerala government has fixed a route for the journey. “Most importantly, devotes should know they will not be allowed to stay at Sannidanam, Pamba, and Ganapathi temple this time,” Dayanand said.
Somanna Tippannavar, a Lord Ayyappa devotee who has been visiting Sabarimala for the past 25 years, welcomed the health-safety guidelines, but said more visitors should be allowed. “The number of 1,000 devotees per day is very low. It should be at least 5,000 per day,” he said.