SABARIMALA: Citing the prevailing Covid-19 situation in the state, Sabarimala Thantri Mahesh Mohanaru on Wednesday asked the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) not hold the 10-day annual festival, which is scheduled to begin on June 19. He also asked the TDB not to open the temple for devotees on June 14 for monthly poojas.
In a letter to the Devaswom commissioner, the thantri said at a time when the Covid-19 cases are on the rise, it would be unwise to open the temple and hold the festival. He said things could turn worse if any devotee comes and later tests positive for Covid-19. TDB decided to hold the annual festival, which is normally held in March, this month after the state government gave permission to open all places of worship.
“If the festival is held in the presence of a large number of devotees, including those coming from vulnerable states, conducting the ritual will be challenging,” thantri wrote. If the temple entry is allowed, there could be a rush of devotees which may even disrupt the rituals related to the annual festival.
Entry of devotees:
Govt to hold consultations T’Puram: The state government will hold discussions with the TDB and the thantri on allowing entry of devotees into Sabarimala temple. The announcement by Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran came in the wake of the conflicting opinion of the TDB and thantri on devotees’ entry and conducting the annual festival. “The government is not adamant on reopening temples to the public. The decision to reopen was taken in the devotees’ interest. The thantri’s opinion will be factored in when a final decision is taken on the temple,” he told reporters on Wednesday. “The TDB president told me the decision to allow restricted entry into the shrine was taken in consultation with thantri,” he said.