Sabarimala dons bare look without many pilgrims

Kollur/Udupi: Even though the Makar sankramana is approaching still the number of pilgrims in Sabarimala Ayyappa Swami temple is scarce due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Usually from the first week of January till the 15th of the same month, the number of pilgrims arriving in the temple are in lakhs.

However this year only about 1,000 devotees have visited so far.

It was reported that pilgrims only from Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have been able to come to the temple as an error in the online booking system affected Karnataka pilgrims who are yet to start their journey.

Due to this reason, the number of pilgrims in coastal Karnataka organising pilgrims’ camps has also lessened.

In these camps, bhajans and other religious activities were performed all night and during their way to Sabarimala the pilgrims also visited other temples.

This year none of those happened.

“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the policies of the communist government of Kerala, this time it was decided not to organise the pilgrimage and everybody was requested to worship in their homes,” said Radhakrishna, Udupi district president of Sabarimale Ayyappa Seva Samaj.

Ayyappa Swami devotees, instead, have organised special pujas at various temples along coastal Karnataka on Makara Sankranti on January 14.

All day bhajans will be held at Ayyappa temples with limited devotees along with bhoajnas.