Great service : A free food centre at Sabari Saranashram at Koonamkara

PATHANAMTHITTA: The ‘annadanam’ (free feeding) launched by the Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajom (SASS), the Pathanamthitta-based charitable organisation, has been drawing good crowd at various camps opened by the samajom since the beginning of the pilgrim season.

The Sabari Saranashram at Kooanamkara near Perinad on the Mannarakulanji- Pampa main trunk route to Sabarimala is the main SASS camp where 3,000 to 4,000 pilgrims drop in every day.

The uniqueness of the annadanam at the SASS centre is that the vegetables used in preparing dishes are brought by Ayyappa devotees from different parts of the district.

The SASS had supplied vegetable seeds to those households that had extended active support to the charity venture that began a year ago. They cultivate vegetables in their courtyards exclusively for the annadanam and the Sabari Saranashram could run the free feeding programme with the vegetables, grocery and rice supplied by these well-wishers, says Kummanam Rajashekharan, SASS general secretary.

M.N. Sukumaran Nambiar, son of the late Tamil actor M.N. Nambiar, is the president of the samajom.

The samajom had opened 37 annadanam centres for Sabarimala pilgrims in different parts of the State, including those at Kodungalloor, Thriprayar, Palakkad, Chalakkudy, Kondotty, Muvattupuzha, Thodupuzha and Tirunakkara. The samajom opened annadanam centres at Paandithavalom near the Sannidhanam and at Erumely on Thursday.

These centres provide breakfast, mid-day meals and supper on a daily basis and the SASS is planning to open more camps, Mr. Rajashekharan said.

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