Taking a serious note on the sharp surge in the COVID-19 cases across the State, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has imposed restrictions on the conduct of annual festivals in the 1,250 temples governed by it.
According to the TDB, the festival season in temples under the TDB extends to six months after the Mandalapuja at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple on December 26. In view of the rising number of cases, the conduct of these events this time will be confined to the performance of key rituals.
As part of it, there will be no Paryeduppu and Ezhunellippu ceremonies, which stipulate house visits and parading of elephants. Permission will not be granted for stage shows and other public events in connection with the festival.
There will be no distribution of meals in the temples while bathing at the temple ponds too have been banned. The number of officials to be deployed on duty for festivals too will be kept to the minimum.
The respective assistant and deputy commissioners will be entrusted with the maintenance of COVID-19 protocol during the conduct of rituals at the temples.
The TDB has already imposed a set of regulations on the entry of devotees inside the temple.
