Ayyappa Seva Sangham to supply free food

PATHANAMTHITTA: The Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham has decided to supply free food to more pilgrims at Sabarimala Sannidhanam during the coming two-month pilgrimage season.

In an exclusive interview, Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham general secretary N Sreenivasan told Express that the 24-hour food supply at the Sannidhanam during the peak days of the pilgrimage season will continue.

Free food distribution at the Malikappuram facility will function from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. for breakfast, 11.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. for dinner, during the Mandalam pilgrimage season.

“During the peak days of the Mandala pooja season and the Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, the Sangham will operate the facility round-the-clock,” Sreenivasan said.

The Sangham will offer free food for more pilgrims at Pampa also.

At Karimala and Uppupara, the free food facility will start functioning early during the pilgrimage season.

Sreenivasan said that a separate committee had already been set up for the smooth conduct of the food distribution at the Sannidhanam and other important centres.

Sreenivasan said that the Ayyappa Seva Sangham would deploy 3,000 volunteers for Sabarimala service, against the 2,000 volunteers deployed during the last pilgrimage season.

“The additional volunteers are required for cleaning operations at the Sannidhanam, Pampa and other pilgrim centres under the Sabarimala Sanitation Society,” he said.

“More volunteers will also be deployed for the stretcher service between the Sanndhinam and Pampa for carrying injured pilgrims,” he added.

“For the 24-hour functioning of oxygen parlous on the trekking path between Pampa and Sannidhanam, the Sangham will deploy 100 more volunteers,” said Sreenivasan.

Sreenivasan said that the free medical facility at Pampa, in association with the Apollo Hospital, Madurai, would function round the clock during the season.

The Apollo Hospital has agreed to send more doctors, including specialists, for the round-the-clock working of the Pampa facility.

At Nilakkal, the Ayyappa Seva Sangham will open a free medical centre during the season in view of the presence of thousands of pilgrims to board the vehicles on their way back home.

The free vehicle workshop, in association with T V S Motors, Madurai, will start functioning from the beginning of the pilgrim season.

The Sangham will also provide additional facilities at its 21 centres during the pilgrim season. In addition to the existing facilities, the Sangham would open a new facility for the Sabarimala pilgrims in Kanyakumari.

Responses