Registration ends: Pampa prepares for Ayyappa Sangamam
PATHANAMTHITTA: Final preparations for the Global Ayyappa Sangamam, scheduled for the 20th, are underway in Pampa. Registration for entry ended yesterday. 4864 people have registered. The first 3000 people who registered will be admitted. The Devaswom Board has also invited 250 people who have come to Sabarimala for darshan the most time by booking through through the virtual queue. A total of 3250 people will be admitted.
However, the number of registered women was not released. The board's stance is that women of all ages can participate in the Ayyappa Sangamam. 500 representatives from 16 countries will participate. Accommodation has been arranged for them in Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts.
Six Union ministers have been invited, but there are indications that none of the Union ministers from Kerala will attend. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the event. The Tamil Nadu Devaswom Minister and the IT Minister will attend. Ministers from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka will also attend. The arrangements at Pampa were reviewed under the leadership of Devaswom Board member A. Ajikumar.
German pandal to be dedicated today
The German pandal built in Pampa will be dedicated for the event today. The inaugural session will be held here at 10.30 am on the 20th. The concluding session will also be held here at 3.50 pm. The 30,000 square feet pandal was built on the site of the Ramamurthy Mandapam that was washed away in the 2018 floods. 3,000 people can sit at a time. Security check, VIP lounge, VIP restaurant, hospital, and four bio toilets are also here. Sanketham Auditorium is the second venue. The third venue is the pandal at Hilltop. Various discussions will be held at the three venues after the inaugural session.
'Suggestions for implementing the master plan and controlling crowding will be compiled at the Ayyappa Sangamam. Modern methods will be adopted for implementing the projects".
- P.S. Prashanth, Devaswom Board President