Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam seeks ‘National Pilgrim Centre’ Status for Sabarimala.

published on June 29, 2014

A fact-finding team will soon be constituted by Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam to make an indepth study of the problems faced by devotees at Sabarimala. The report will also look into the various remedial measures that will settle the issues being faced by devotees.  The decision was taken at the national executive meeting of SASS in Coimbatore.

Announcing the decision, Kummanam Rajashekharan, SASS national general secretary, said that the panel would consist of experts “in the field of environment conservation, transport, crowd management, misery alleviation, and sewage disposal.”

According to the decision taken, the forum will submit a preliminary report to the Centre and State governments and the Travancore Devaswom Board in two months.

“We have sought the status of national pilgrim centre for Sabarimala from the Centre  and execute the Pampa Action Plan aimed at reducing pollution in the Pampa river,” said Kummanam Rajashekharan, adding that the SASS would submit a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighting various issues faced by the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala.

“The SASS will launch pilgrim awareness campaigns across South India and make devotees aware of the various problems bing faced because of the accumulated waste in the Pampa river,” said Kummanam Rajashekharan. He said that “seminars and photo exhibitions on Sabarimala will be conducted in 35 towns and nearly 300 Ayyappa temples in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.”

“100 Ayyappa Seva Centres would be opened in south India during the ensuing Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season. A week-long workshop on non-governmental organisations and volunteers would be organised ahead of the pilgrim season,” Kummanam said.