Pilgrims who booked via virtual queue system will be allowed entry from todayMarking the beginning of a pilgrimage season drastically scaled down by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala opened for the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku season on Sunday. Devotees who booked for darshan through the virtual queue system will be permitted entry to the hill shrine from November 16. Authorities have already issued an advisory to ensure compliance by pilgrims to health protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19. All pilgrims have to carry the COVID-19-negative certificate with tests done 24 hours before reaching the base camp Nilackal. Priest tests positiveOn Saturday, a 26-year-old priest, appointed by the Travancore Devaswom Board on a temporary basis, tested positive during an antigen test at Nilackal.

Source: The Hindu November 15, 2020 14:03 UTC