Sabarimala News

Makaravilakku 2025 falls on January 14, marking one of the most significant religious festivals celebrated at the Sabarimala Temple in Kerala Devotees from across India and beyond gather in massive numbers to witness the divine Makara Jyothi The festival is rooted in deep traditions and astrological significance, celebrating the sun's transition from Sagittarius to Capricorn

Mandala puja was held at the Sabarimala`s Lord Ayyappa temple on Sunday Mandala Puja was performed by Thantri KM Mohanaru and Chief priest N Parameswaran Namboodiri

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Decision was taken in a meeting between CM Vijayan and Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan. Primary health care facilities have been set up at Neelimala and Apache medu.

Adults need to provide full vaccination certificate or RT-PCR test report to enter Sabarimala. Lord Ayyappa temple opened on November 16 for the two-month-long pilgrimage season.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan. Schools have been closed in some Kerala districts on Monday. Red alert has been declared in Ernakulam, Idukki and Thrissur districts.

The two-month-long pilgrimage season will begin on November 16. Kerala govt has issued COVID-19 guidelines for pilgrims. Negative RT-PCR or double vaccination certificate is mandatory for devotees.

RT-PCR or double vaccination certificate mandatory for devotees to enter Sabarimala. The virtual queue system will continue. Kerala logged 12,288 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday.

Only 5,000 devotees will be allowed to enter the Sabarimala temple. The Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala was closed for devotees in May this year due to COVID-19 cases.

The Department of Posts will now deliver Sabrimala's ‘SwamyPrasadam' to devotees across India at their doorstep. A comprehensive booking and delivery package has been developed covering every nook and corner of the country.

Travancore Devaswam president N Vasu said the annual festival pilgrimage season for Sabarimala starts from November 16.

In September 2018, the apex court in a verdict allowed the women of all age groups to enter the Sabarimala temple. In November 2019, a five-judge bench headed by then Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi referred the matter to a larger bench to examine the matter and also clubbed the issues on the entry of women in the religious places of other religions.

Activist Trupti Desai has also reached Kochi in an attempt to visit Sabarimala Temple. Her arrival sparked off protests by Lord Ayyappa devotees. She has been kept at the Kochi City Police Commissioners office. She arrived with four other activists and has been in discussion with the top police officers requesting police protection to reach the temple. 

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Tharoor also termed the debate over Rahul Gandhi's citizenship as an ''absurd and frivolous charge.''

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The warning comes less than a day after the Election Commission of India announced the Lok Sabha election 2019 dates which will be held in seven phases.

Despite security arrangements, a large number of devotees, including those from neighbouring states, turned up to offer prayers when the shrine was opened at 5 pm.

The Board said it is high time that a particular class not be discriminated on the ground of "biological attributes".

The development comes a day after the Kerala government told the SC that 51 women of menstrual age have entered Sabarimala temple since September 2018.