'State government and Travancore Devaswom Board are indifferent over Sabarimala issue'; Hindu organisations to conduct meeting and protest programmes

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Hindu organisations have come out against the state government and the Travancore Devaswom Board over the Sabarimala pilgrimage issue. Hindu organisations have decided to convene a meeting alleging that both parties are indifferent to the issue. Decision has been taken to conduct protest programmes and awareness programmes. The meeting will be held in Pandalam on October 26.

On October 16, namajapa prayers will be offered at the Thiruvabharana Malika. The decision was taken at a meeting convened by the office-bearers of various Ayyappa devotee organisations under the leadership of Pandalam Palace. The organisations are of the view that they are not against the time-appropriate changes associated with the Sabarimala pilgrimage but will not allow devotees to be exploited and troubled in the name of it.
Hindu organisations are not ready to accept the idea of darshan only through virtual queues. It is the duty of the government and the Devaswom Board to facilitate the pilgrimage to the temple, which generates crores of rupees in revenue for the state. It is the police who have been controlling the pilgrimage for the past few years. The police, who are supposed to provide security to the devotees, are controlling the administration by making the board a scapegoat in Sabarimala.

Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president PS Prasanth had said in a press conference that it was necessary to control the rush for the safety of Sabarimala temple and pilgrims and that revenue was not the goal of the board. Devotees had to be stopped during the last mandala season as the crowd went out of control. This condition can be resolved only through virtual queues.

About 30,000 devotees came through spot booking every day. The police had to let the devotees enter during the rush hour without even a spot booking by documenting their names and phone numbers. The data can be useful if information about pilgrims has to be collected for any reason. Those who book virtual queues will be given 24 hours before and after, the president said.