Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government is planning virtual queues to regulate devotees at Sabarimala and Guruvayur in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The Sabarimala temple will open on June 14 for the Mithunam poojas, Kerala Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said. Devotees will be allowed in the main precincts of Sabarimala only through the virtual queue system.
Similarly, an online registration facility for a virtual queue will be put in place for entry into the Guruvayur temple, he said. Devotees will be allowed entry at the temple from Tuesday.
Bookings for the virtual queue will start from 10 am on Sunday and can be made on the Devaswom website (www.guruvayurdevaswom.in), he said.
The Mithunam month poojas and festival at Sabarimala will be held from June 14 till June 28. The ‘arattu’ will take place on June 28.
The minister said 200 devotees will be allowed per hour through the virtual queue. The darshanwill be allowed from 4am to 1pm and from 4pm to 11pm.
In all, 3,200 devotees will be allowed darshanduring the 16 hours. Only 50 people will be allowed at a time in the temple courtyard. The other devotees will have to stand in the next queue in circles that will be drawn to ensure social distancing.
Registrations for the virtual queue will not be allowed for those aged below 10 years and above 65 years, the minister said.
Devotees will not be allowed to take bath in the Pampa river. Also, boarding or lodging facilities will not be provided.
At Guruvayur, entry will be allowed to only those who have done online registrations. The darshantimings will be 9.30am to 1.30pm.
Entry will be regulated to allow only 150 devotees per hour, which, in effect, means 600 devotees daily during the darshantimings. Three batches of 50 people each will be allowed in an hour.
Devotees will be allotted the darshantiming during online registration.
There will be no VIP darshanat either Sabarimala or Guruvayur.
Sabarimala devotees from other states
Devotees from other states will be allowed at Sabarimala after they obtain the pass issued through COVID-Jagratha website (https://covid19jagratha.kerala.nic.in/home/).
The pass will be issued only after a COVID-negative certificate from an ICMR-accredited lab is uploaded on the website two days before the day of the darshan.
60 marriages daily at Guruvayur
A maximum of only 60 marriages will be allowed at Guruvayur daily. Weddings will be held from 5am till 1.30pm.
Marriages at Guruvayur have been allowed since Thursday (June 4). The timing for a marriage will be allotted during online registration.
Bookings can be done at the Devaswom's bookstall in front of the temple.
Only 10 people, including the bride and the groom, will be allowed at each marriage mandapam on the eastern side of the temple. The mandapams will be sanitised after each marriage, the Devaswom said.
Those who plan to be a part of the marriage ceremony will have to provide photo identity cards and also the non-quarantine, non-history certificates issued by the medical officer for making a booking.
The marriage groups will have to assemble at the Melpathur auditorium in front of the eastern gate of the temple. They will be allowed to go to the mandapams as per the timings given in the booking tokens.
After the marriage ceremony, the groups will be allowed to pray in front of the lamp pole (deepasthambam) and they will have to exit from the southern side.
Cochin Devaswom temples will open from June 9
Thrissur: All the temples under the Cochin Devaswom, including the Vadakkunnathan temple, will open from June 9, Tuesday.
Only 10 people will be allowed to have the darshan at any given time. The Devaswom has decided to allow entry during all the hours the temples remain open.
There will be another review meeting at Thirvambady on Sunday to take a final decision, after which the Devaswom will issue the necessary guidelines.
There are indications that devotees will be allowed to go till the lamp post (deepasthambam) at Paramekkavu.
