Marking the beginning of the second phase of the annual pilgrimage season, the Lord Ayyappa temple Sabarimala opened this evening for the Makaravilakku festival. Pilgrims thronged the temple from the wee hours of Thursday with the commencement of Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.

The Lord Ayyappa temple opened on Wednesday evening at 5 pm for the Makaravilakku festival, even as the chief priest quarantined himself after coming into contact with three COVID positive people.

The auspicious Makaravilakku festival falls on January 14 and the Temple would be closed on January 20. According to a Travancore Devaswom Board official, the chief priest, V K Jayarajan Potti, has quarantined himself since Tuesday.

Though the portals of the hill shrine were opened at 5.00 pm, devotees would be allowed to enter from Thursday morning only. The auspicious Makaravilakku festival falls on January 14and the shrine would be closed on January 20. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, only 5,000 devotees would be permitted to offer prayers at the shrine per day during the Makaravilakku season.

As in the first phase of the pilgrimage which ended on December 26 with customary Mandala pooja, a Covid negative certificate, taken within 48 hours of the pilgrimage, is mandatory in the second leg also.

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