Sabarimala temple remains closed for pilgrims
Sabarimala (Kerala) Aug 23 : The Sabarimala temple in Kerala will remain closed to the public until further notice due to the overflowing Pamba river, authorities said on Thursday.
The temple was closed on August 13 following massive floods.
According to the temple authorities, the floods have caused damage worth Rs 100 crore to its infrastructure. A.Padmakumar, President of the Travancore Devasom Board which manages the Sabarimala temple, told the media that they had no other option but to close it down.
The sluice gates of two dams that forms a part of the Sabarigiri project, was opened after heavy rains and subsequent floods ravaged places in and around the temple town.
However, all the religious rituals of the temple will be conducted. Following the decision, several pilgrims from Tamil Nadu who had planned for a pilgrimage have cancelled their trip.
The temple is open only during from the middle of November till the middle of January, but for several years now, it is kept open for a few days at the start of every Malayalam month which falls during the middle of every month.
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'NATO air defences intercept third ballistic missile over Turkiye since start of Iran war'
Istanbul (AP): NATO defences on Friday intercepted a ballistic missile fired from Iran over Turkiye, the Defense Ministry said.
It marked the third such incident since the start of the Iran war.
Turkiyes Defence Ministry said the missile was destroyed by NATO air defences deployed in the eastern Mediterranean. Residents in the southern city of Adana reported hearing a loud explosion and sirens sounding at Incirlik Air Base, which is used by US forces, in the early hours of Friday.
No casualties were reported.
This week, NATO deployed an additional Patriot air defense system in the southeastern province of Malatya, where the Kurecik radar station is based.
The Defence Ministry stressed Thursday that Incirlik is a Turkish base – and that the foreign troop presence doesn't alter the base's status – in an apparent response to warnings from Tehran to regional countries not to host US military bases.
