Thiruvananthapuram, May 9 With tensions increasing on the India-Pakistan border, the proposed visit of President Droupadi Murmu to pray at the famed Sabarimala temple has been postponed, a top temple official said on Friday.
Speaking to IANS, the Travancore Devaswom Board chief P.S. Prasanth said the President's visit was planned for May 19, but now with the increased tensions, it has been postponed.
"The visit has not been cancelled but only postponed to a later date on account of the present situation our country is going through," he said.
"Now that this high-profile visit has been postponed, we have reopened the virtual Q booking for May 18 and 19, which we had blocked early this month after the visit of the President was initially contemplated. So pilgrims desiring to visit the temple on May 18 and 19 can do the pre-booking," Prasanth added.
As and when President Murmu visits the famed temple, it will be the first time that any President would have done so.
Situated on the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats at an altitude of 3,000 feet above sea level, the famed Sabarimala temple is a four km uphill trek from Pampa in the Pathanamthitta district, which is around 100 km from the Kerala capital.
Currently, girls and women between the ages of 10 and 50 are not allowed entry into the hilltop shrine.
The temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa is accessible only on foot from the Pampa River.
As per practice, before setting off to the holy shrine, a pilgrim normally undertakes an intense 41-day penance where he/she does not wear footwear, dons a black dhoti/black top and sticks to strict vegetarian food.
Every pilgrim carries ‘lrumudi’ on his/her head, which is a prayer kit that contains coconuts which are broken just before climbing the 18 steps to the shrine.
Without it, no one is allowed to step onto the holy 18 steps at the ‘Sannidhanam’.
Over the years, some traditions at the famed temple have changed.
While for many years, this temple used to open only in the second half of November and close around the middle of January, it is now open for a few days at the beginning of every Malayalam month.
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