Global Ayyappa Summit a grand success, had more participation than expected, says Minister V N Vasavan

PATHANAMTHITTA: Minister VN Vasavan said that the Global Ayyappa Summit organised by the Travancore Devaswom Board was a grand success with participation far beyond expectations. He was speaking at a press conference after the valedictory session.

"A total of 4,126 people attended the inaugural conference. Of these, 2,125 came from 14 different states. The largest number of participants, 1,545, came from Tamil Nadu. People also joined from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and other states. 182 people came from 15 different countries, with the biggest group of 39 from Sri Lanka. Participants also came from Malaysia, Canada, the U.S., Sharjah, Qatar, and more. From Kerala alone, 1,819 people took part, including members of 28 community organisations," the minister said.

"Not everyone present at the inaugural conference joined the discussions. Some were not interested in the discussions and left after watching the events. Some mentioned that only 623 people had officially registered, but that number was recorded at just one counter. Several constructive suggestions were raised during the discussions. Sponsors have already come forward to support the development of Sabarimala, and preparations for the next pilgrimage season will begin soon," he added.