The Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala witnessed a lean pilgrim flow on the last day of the five-day monthly rituals on Wednesday.
Very few pilgrims turned up at the temple owing to the stringent restrictions imposed by the government to curb the spread of COVID-19 infection. From March 14, when the monthly rituals began, all Sannidhanam-bound pilgrims were screened by a Health Department medical team led by Dr. Prashobh at Pampa before they were allowed to enter the trekking path.
Till Wednesday afternoon, a total of 9,110 persons were screened for fever. Two persons with fever were sent back as per the Health Department guidelines on the first day. Only 230 persons crossed the surveillance point at Pampa to enter the trekking path from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, according to official sources. The Sannidhanam used to witness a crowd of 10,000 to 15,000 daily during the monthly puja period.
The Travancore Devaswom Board had conducted only rituals like Ganapati homom, Ushapuja, Deeparadhana, Utchapuja and Athazhapuja at the Ayyappa temple during the just-concluded five-day monthly puja. Rituals such as Udayasthamanpuja, Kalabhabhishekom, Sahasrakalasapuja, Pushpabhishekom, and Padipuja were not performed. The temple was closed after the Athazhapuja in the evening.
The temple will be opened on March 28 afternoon for the 10-day annual festival that begins on March 29. Tantri Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu assisted by Melsanthi A.K. Sudheer Namboodiri will perform the Shudhi-kriya (purification rites) and other preparatory rituals on March 29 evening.
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