Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram has been closed for devotees till October 15 after chief priest of the temple and 10 others tested positive for Covid-19, temple executive officer V Ratheesan said.All regular rituals will be performed by the priests sans devotees during this period and authorities are hopeful of reopening the temple on October 16. The decision to close the temple for devotees was also taken in view of the 10-day Alpashi festival scheduled from October 15 at the temple. The festival is likely to be held symbolically and the chief priest will take a final call on the matter.
This is the second closure of the shrine since its shutdown following the nationwide lockdown in March and reopening for devotees on August 26, while ensuring strict adherence to Covid-19 safety protocols.Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple shot to fame after an estimated wealth of Rs one lakh crore was unearthed during the execution of Supreme Court’s order to prepare an inventory of treasures kept in one of the vaults of the sixth century temple in 2011. After this, the number of visitors to the temple increased and it turned into a major pilgrimage and a tourism spot in south India. As per the Ministry of Health data, total coronavirus cases in Kerala stand at 2,58,850 out of which 90,664 are active cases, 1,67,256 are recovered cases and 930 deaths. Kerala on Wednesday (October 7) recorded 10,606 positive cases highest till date.