Amid the tight vigil in the district against the backdrop of the second wave of COVID-19 outbreak in the State, the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala will be opened on March 13 afternoon for the five-day monthly rituals in the Malayalam month of Meenom that begins on March 14.
The Travancore Devaswom Board has appealed to Ayyappa devotees not to visit the holy hillock during the period as part of the governmental efforts to check the spread of the virus.
Talking to The Hindu, Devaswom executive officer Rajendraprasad said the functioning of the temple would be restricted to routine rituals. Only a skeleton staff will be deployed at Sabarimala and there will be no accommodation or annadanam during the period. Neither the temple administration nor any government agencies will provide any pilgrim facility at the holy hillock and Pampa.
Prasadom counters
Mr. Rajendraprasad said prasadom counters, including appam-aravana sales counters, will remain closed. The neyyabhisehkom ticket counter too would remain closed. However, the board would perform the customary neyyabhishekom to the deity in the morning.
Chief priest (Tantri) Kandararu Maheswararu Mohanararu told The Hindu that Ganapati homom, ushapuja, utchapuja, deeparadhana, and athazhapuja will be performed. Padipja, pushpabhishekom, sahasrakalasabhishekom and other special rituals will not be performed. He urged the devotees to abide by the government directions.
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation has decided not to operate any special services to Pampa from any of its depots during the monthly puja period.
