Sabarimala temple reopens for five-day monthly prayer from today

Travancore Devaswam president N Vasu said the annual festival pilgrimage season for Sabarimala starts from November 16.

ANI photo

Pathanamthitta: The five-day monthly prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala will begin from Monday (August 17) morning after the shrine reopened on Sunday. The five-day monthly prayers are held during the Malayalam month Chingam.

However, the authority has ensured that the temple will strictly follow COVID-19 guidelines and those visiting the temple need to have coronavirus negative certificates. The temple will close on August 21 evening after monthly puja.

The temple will again open for Onam poojas from August 29 to September 2 and the annual festival pilgrimage season in November. Earlier, Travancore Devaswam president N Vasu said that the annual festival pilgrimage season for Sabarimala will start from November 16.

"This is an event which has been going on for decades. The government, as well as the Travancore Devaswam board, is eager to see that the event takes place this year also but with limitations and restrictions," he said.

(With ANI input)