1,500 devotees allowed inside Attukal temple

Pongala will be restricted to homes and will not be allowed on streets and public places

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the decrease in the number of Covid cases, District Collector Navjot Khosa has issued an order allowing a maximum of 1,500 people to visit the Attukal Devi temple. The number was fixed based on the government’s directive to assess the maximum occupancy by calculating 25-square-feet per person.

Covid protocol

• Those visiting the temple need to produce an RT-PCR negative certificate taken within 72 hours prior to entry. People who have tested Covid positive in the last three months should produce necessary documents regarding the same. Children under 18 who are asymptomatic can enter the temple with family members. The directive also applies to volunteers.
• People with symptoms are not allowed inside the temple. Organisers must ensure that the Covid protocol is strictly followed in and around the temple.
• To maintain social distancing, the exact distance should be determined and marked on the ground in a circle and organisers should instruct the devotees to stand only on these signs. Police and organisers should control the crowd through queues and barricades. Non-traditional events will not be allowed.
• The order also stated that visitors to the temple must ensure that they comply with protocol.