Covid-19 surge doesn't stop Sabarimala tokens from selling like hot cakes

Masks wouldn't be required to be worn during the trek as it would make breathing difficult say experts

The Covid-19 surge in Kerala seems to be not turning away people from temples as the online booking for darshan at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple has sold out like hot cakes as soon as the bookings were opened, even as stringent norms like Covid-19 tests have been imposed.

Devotees are being allowed at the hill shrine after a gap of around six months as the temple opens for monthly pooja from the evening of October 16 to the night of of October 21. Only 250 devotees would be allowed per day through the police's virtual queue system.

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The virtual queue booking was opened Saturday night and within hours almost all the slots for the time period when the temple would be open were booked. Only a total of 1,250 pilgrims were given tokens.

Normally during monthly poojas there would be at least 3,000 persons per day visiting the shrine for darshan and hence this could be considered as the lowest ever devotee turn out to the temple over the last several years, sources associated with the temple said.

Travancore Devaswom Board that manages over 1,000 temples in Kerala including the Sabarimala, has estimated a revenue fall of around Rs 300 crore as the temples remained closed to devotees due to lockdown.

The board president N Vasu told DH that Sabarimala alone suffered a revenue fall of Rs 150 crore. Though restricted entry of devotees are allowed at many temples now, the revenue was only around one-fourth compared to that during the previous year, he said.

No mask for trekking

Devotees need not wear masks during the trek to the temple as health experts pointed out that it would be quite difficult to trek by wearing a mask.

Pathanamthitta district, where the temple is situated, has so far managed to keep Covid-19 under control as it is the district with the third lowest number of Covid-19 cases in Kerala despite having many risk elements like a relatively high population of the elderly.

For that reason, the Sabarimala pilgrimage is a cause for concern. Moreover, government doctors have also already expressed concern in deploying additional health workers at Sabarimala as already the state was facing a shortage of health workers.

District medical officer A L Sheeja said that since the number of devotees is now restricted to 250 per day, it might be possible to maintain social distancing during trekking.

Covid-19 test conducted within 48 hours before darshan is mandatory for pilgrims from other states, apart from registration on Covid Jagratha portal. Covid-19 tests are mandatory for all pilgrims ahead of trekking, facilities for which are being made at base camps.

For the upcoming two month-long pilgrimage season from November 15, the daily number of pilgrims is now fixed at 1,000 on weekdays and 2,000 on weekends. It would be reviewed after analysing the situation of these monthly pooja arrangements.