For the 'Thula Masam' puja, the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple will reopen today. Check specifics

 For the 'Thula Masam' puja, the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple will reopen today. Check specifics

According to the Travancore Devaswom website, the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple will reopen tonight, or on October 17, at 5 pm, for the 'Thula Masam' puja. The Travancore Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act XV of 1950 established the independent Travancore Board.

According to the Malayalam calendar, 'Thula Masam' is a monthly prayer said during the 'Tulam' month. In addition, the temple will be shut down on October 22 at the conclusion of the lunar prayers. 

According to the Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam (SAASS), the temple will reopen on November 10 and 11 for Sree Chithra Atta Thirunal pooja as well as from November 16 to December 27 for Mandala Pooja Maholsavam.

According to Asianet News, from October 18 to 22, KSRTC would provide special bus services in honor of the Thula Masam Puja. According to the report, special bus services would run from Chengannur, Pathanamthitta, Kottarakkara, Erumeli, and Thiruvananthapuram to Pampa.

The Kerala High Court urged the state government to publish an advise for Sabarimala pilgrims last month due to the Nipah epidemic in the state. "The Special Commissioner has filed this report calling for advisories, if essential, starting the Directorate of Health Services, Kerala in consideration of the recent Nipah Virus infection in Kozhikode District, as Sabarimala Temple opens during Kannimasa Pooja from 17.09.2023 to 22.09.2023," the order noted. Six people have tested positive for the Nipah virus as of September, two of whom had already passed away from the illness. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), fruit bats are the source of the Nipah virus, which may be lethal to both people and animals. It is known to produce fever, muscle discomfort, headache, fever, dizziness, and nausea in addition to respiratory sickness.