“Presence of Virgin Mary” in Erumeli-Another Conspiracy against Sabarimala

Sun-gazing for ‘Virgin Mary’ leaves many with blurred vision
Source:
Pioneer News Service | Kottayam

Forty-nine persons from several parts of the State and from neighbouring Tamil Nadu are now taking treatment in various eye hospitals following blurred vision received after gazed at the blazing sun for several hours to have the darshan of Virgin Mary. People had been turning out in large numbers for gazing at the sun after a woman, Salomi, stated that she had got the darshan of Virgin Mary through the method and her ailments had been cured.

Two parishes under the Kanjjirapally diocese of the Christian Church had jointly named this place as Rosa Mystique Mount and people were flocking to this place to have a darshan of the goddess.

Doctors confirmed that 49 persons had approached different hospitals in Kottayam district for treatment for eye ailments after gazing the scorching sun for several hours. Of these, 18 people could become blind for life as their iris might have been damaged owing to this sun gazing, doctors said.

The incident occurred on February 13 at Manjalaruvy near Erumeli in Kottayam district.

Kottayam District Medical Officer Benjamin had reported to the district collector and the Health Department officials about the possibility of more people getting blurred eye vision and that the superstition was spreading far and wide. However, the authorities had not taken any action on the report of caution from the DMO, sources said. Even now, several people were reaching the Rosa Mystique Mount as the place had the divine presence of Virgin Mary, as per the belief.

According to the story that people were told, Salomi and her husband Sojan, both belonging to the Latin Catholic community, had rented a house at Kanjirapally and after some days the picture of Virgin Mary kept in their house had showed signs of blood oozing from it. It was also said that after some time honey was oozing from the picture. The parish priests’ words gave credibility to both the statements and this spread like wild fire attracting several people from far and wide to the Rosa Mystique Mount.

The story after this was that Salomi had the darshan of Virgin Mary when she had climbed the rock behind her house and that her ailments were cured following the darshan. The Church took the initiative to shift the tenants out and to turn the spot into a prayer centre thus felicitating the flocking of people from faraway places.

Some years back, there was an attempt on the part of certain Christian groups to stake claim to the Nilakkal forest land near Sabarimala which had turned into a major controversy. There wee doubts on the claims also as Erumeli was near to Sabarimala and a “presence of Virgin Mary” could draw more believers to Rosa Mystique Mount also.

A local resident said, “I have never visited the spot, but there are long queues of buses that bring people to have the darshan of Mother Mary. Mostly the people from the Latin Catholic community are coming here.”

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