KOCHI: The high court has ordered to allow 5,000 devotees to visit Sabarimala every day from Saturday. At present, the admission is for 1000 devotees from Monday to Friday and for 2000 devotees on Saturdays and Sundays.

The Devaswom Division Bench directed to allow a rise in devotees after considering the the petitions filed by KP Sunil, a native of Anna Nagar, Chennai, Travancore Devaswom Board Employees Front and Congress leader Ajay Tharayil.

Earlier, the court had decided that only those with a negative certificate of an RT-PCR test taken 48 hours before reaching Nilakkal during Makaravilakku season can enter the temple. The division bench also said that arrangements should be made before the Makaravilakku festival starts on the 30th.

The division bench ruled that the proposal to admit 5,000 devotees per day would not prevent the high-powered committee from allowing more devotees to enter.