Sabarimala pilgrims allowed to carry coconuts in cabin baggage in flights
New Delhi, Oct 26: Pilgrims going to Sabarimala temple in Kerala will be allowed to carry coconuts in the cabin baggage of flights till January 20, 2025, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Saturday.
The two-month-long Sabarimala pilgrimage season will start in mid-November.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has given permission to pilgrims to carry coconuts in their cabin baggage for a limited period.
Under existing norms, coconuts are not permitted in the cabin baggage on the grounds that they are flammable.
Naidu on Saturday said that to facilitate the ease of travel for Sabarimala pilgrims, an exemption has been given for "carrying coconuts in 'Irumudi' as cabin baggage during the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage period".
The order will be in effect until January 20, 2025, with all necessary security checks in place, he said in a post on X..
Coconuts will be allowed to be carried in the cabin only after requisite X-Ray, ETD (Explosive Trace Detector) and physical checks.
The Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala will open for the two-month long pilgrimage season in mid-November and the pilgrimage season will go on till late January.
Lakhs of devotees visit the hill shrine every year and the majority of them carry 'Irumudi Kettu' (the sacred bag containing offerings, including coconut filled with ghee, to the Lord).
Generally, those undertaking the pilgrimage to Sabarimala prepare and pack 'Irumudi Kettu' as part of the 'Kettunirakal' ritual.
During the ritual, ghee is filled inside a coconut, which is then kept in the bag along with other offerings. The bag would also have few ordinary coconuts to be broken at various holy spots during the pilgrimage.
Only those pilgrims who carry the 'Irumudi Kettu' on their head are allowed to climb the 18 sacred steps to reach the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Those not carrying it have to take a different passage to reach the sanctum sanctorum.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
