PAMPA: When just ten days are left for the opening of Sabarimala temple for Mandalam season, Travancore Devaswom Board is unable to give a definite answer to the question whether at least basic facilities will be made available for Ayyappa devotees who would be thronging the holy hillock.

The main reason for this is the non-cooperation of merchants in auction procedures.

Even finding good food may turn difficult for devotees, it is feared. About ten hotels usually function at Sannidhanam but this time only two hoteliers have taken part in the auction.

Though the Devaswom board holds ‘Annadanam’ for devotees, it won’t’ be able to cater to the needs of more than two lakh devotees reaching here every day during the season. The food would suffice only for a fourth of that number of devotees. The rest usually depend on private hotels.

The parking/‘Vedivazhipadu’ at nilakkal, conduction of ‘pushpabhishekam’ and coconut collection at Sannidhanam are also having the same fate of hotels – there are no bidders.

In between, there was a demand for cutting down the basic auction amount. Following this, the Devaswon board cut it down by about 10 per cent. But still, the merchants are continuing with their reluctance.

Meanwhile, the board is planning to handover hotels to agencies like Consumerfed to overcome the ‘food crises’, if need be. There will be auctions again on November 11 and 12. If the impasse continues, the devaswom board will seek agencies’ help.