Sabarimala temple opens for devotees
Sabarimala (Kerala): The famed Lord Ayyappa temple here opened to devotees Saturday morning after remaining closed for over six months due to the coronavirus pandemic, with a few worshippers wearing masks and carrying COVID-19 negative certificate offering prayers.
The temple, which opened for the monthly puja on Friday evening, will allow pilgrims to offer prayers till October 21. Rapid antigen tests are being conducted at Nilackal for those not carrying a negative test report for COVID-19.
This is the first time since March 25, when a nationwide lockdown came into force, that pilgrims are being allowed to offer prayers at the hill shrine, which opened at 5 am, sources in the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the temple, said.
As many as 246 people have booked through the virtual queue system for darshan on Saturday. Each day only 250 people will be allowed inside the temple.
The usual rush of devotees was missing this time.
Though the temple opened on Friday evening for the monthly puja, entry of devotees was allowed only from Saturday, the first day of 'Thulam' (malayalam month).
Only those between 10-60 years, having a medical certificate stating that they were fit to trek the holy hill, are being allowed to offer prayers.
Due to the pandemic, the pilgrims will not be allowed to stay at Sannidhanam, Nilackkal or Pamba.
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
