Kochi: The Sabarimala hill has been spruced up in readiness for the influx of visitors to the Lord Ayyappa temple, whose doors will be thrown open in less than 12 hours for the two-month long annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage.
Outgoing Melsanthi (Chief Priest) Damodaran Potti will open the sanctum sanctorum at 5.30 p.m. on Friday for the season that begins on Saturday, the first day in the Malayalam month of Vrischikom. This will be followed by the ceremonial installation of the new Sabarimala Melsanthi P.N. Narayanan Namboodiri and the Malikapuram Melsanthi PM Manoj, who will be leading the proceedings thereafter.
The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), combined with various Government departments and voluntary agencies, are busy making the last-minute arrangements for the smooth progression of the event. The temple, four km uphill from Pamba, expects a 20 per cent increase in the number of pilgrims over the last season.
As many as eight centres, providing free food to the devotees, have been opened along the trekking path and resting facilities have been also arranged at different locations. Our officers will be monitoring the operation of hotels to ensure that no fleecing of devotees takes place,’’ said M.P. Govindan Nair, President, Travancore Devaswom Board.
During the period, the temple will be kept open for a total of 16 hours every day and the timings may be altered on peak days. Usually, the temple will be opened at 4 am and closed after the Uchapooja at 1 pm. It will then be reopened at 4 pm to close after the Athazhapooja at 11 pm,’’ said B. Mohandas, Sabarimala Executive Officer.
The Mandalapuja, marking the culmination of the 41-day Mandalam Pilgrimage, will be held on December 26 while the Pettathullal festival at Erumeli will be on January 12.
The Makarvilakku festival falls on January 14 and the temple will be closed after the customary darshan by the royal representative from Pandalam Palace on January 20, marking its culmination.
We have already completed the concreting works on the Swami Ayyappan road from Pampa up to Marakkoottam. Besides, the underground passage at Marakoottam to be used by the pilgrims returning from the temple, has also been made operational,’’ the official added.
The buffer stock of Appam has crossed 25 lakhs while a matching quantity of Aravana (250 ml each) has been manufactured.
Meanwhile, the district administration has formed special squads, which will be placed at the five key points of Sannidhanam, Nilakkal, Pampa, Laha and at the district head quarters for coordinating action in case of emergencies.
We have fixed a price list of food items in the hotels and officers on special duty will be deployed to monitor its implementation,’’ said Pranab Jyothinath, the District Collector.
Steps have been initiated to prevent littering of plastic waste, a cause of environment pollution in the region, situated in the Periyar Tiger Reserve.
Special check-posts would be set up at Kanamala, Laha, Plappally and Elavumkal, on the main trunk roads leading to Sabarimala to pick up the plastic bags brought by devotees,’’ the collector added.
To ensure the security of pilgrims, about 1200 policemen will be camping at Nilakkal, in addition to Disaster Response and officers to be deployed by the Sabarimala Special Security Officer.
We have also opened three temporary police stations in the region and the movement of pilgrims will be monitored by police in plain clothes and CCTV cameras," said Putta Vimaladitya, the Superintendent of Police, Pathanamthitta.In view of the huge influx of devotees, the KSRTC has opened a temporary bus shelter near Chakkupalam and allotted 500 buses for running special services for pilgrims.
Of this, about 100 buses will be operating chain services between Nilakkal and Pampa while another 136 buses will be running services to other depots in the district,’’ said Easter Yashika, Sabarimala Special Officer, KSRTC.
Next: Police contingents are in place for the festival
Police contingents are in place for the festival
Pathanamthitta: Thiruvananthapuram special cell SP V.K. Rajendran will be in charge of the Sannidhanam and SAP Commandant A.V. George in the Pamba region and ADGP Hemachandran will be the chief coordinator.
The Punyam Poomkavana, an initiative by the police to clean up the temple premises will be headed by IG of Police, G. Vijayan. Forty tractors will carry goods for the offering and for food donation and 27 e-toilets are also on the list.
A vast parking area has been set up by the Devaswom Board at Nilackal, with a capacity of 10,000 vehicles.The parking lot is part of the Sabarimala masterplan implemented on 24 acres of land at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore.
The Motor Transport Department has created the Sabarimala Safe Zone project, along the 200-km stretch covering Pathanamthitta, Pamba, Erumeli, Mundakkayam and Ponkunnam.
Nine squads of the Motor Vehicle Department will work in three shifts round the clock.
“Surveillance cameras will be fitted and will be monitored 24x7 from the control room at Elavunkal. This time we can count the number of vehicles too,” said Abey John, Regional Transport Officer, Pathanamthitta.
In order to provide cheaper and cleaner food to the pilgrims, Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan on Thursday inaugurated food to be supplied from Pathanamthitta District Jail. Pilgrims will get five chappatis and a vegetable curry for Rs 25 and five idlis and sambar for Rs 20.
