Kerala   

Special officer reviews facilities

PATHANATHITTA: The newly appointed Special Officer for Sabarimala, K. Jayakumar, accompanied by District Collector Raju Narayanaswamy reached Sabarimala on Tuesday afternoon.

After a preliminary review of the basic pilgrim facilities at Pampa in the evening, Mr. Jayakumar said his mission was to explore every possibility, in the prevailing circumstances, to facilitate a smooth holy darshan for all pilgrims coming to Sabarimala .

Mr. Jayakumar said the KSEB released 10,000 million cubic metres of water from its Kullar dam in the upstream reaches at 4.30 p.m. on Tuesday to raise the water level in the Pampa at the bathing ghats .

He said the sanitation work undertaken by the Sabarimala Sanitation Society and the drinking water supply at Pampa were found satisfactory. He would hold discussions with Travancore Devaswom Board officials as well as the Revenue and Police authorities at Sannidhanam late in the night or on Wednesday morning on various issues, including ‘aravana.’

The heavy rush of pilgrims coming from Kumily through the Pulmedu path via Uppupara has put the crowd management team at Sabarimala in a tight spot.

The pilgrims had to wait for hours on Tuesday in the thickly packed barricades to reach the temple precincts.

The police machinery was left with no option but to block the flow of pilgrims at certain points for a few hours, in an effort to regulate the crowd. Several devotees, including children and the elderly, are reported to have swooned unable to withstand the mental and physical pressure of the long wait.

The Mandalapuja will be performed at the Ayyappa temple between 12.29 p.m. and 12.40 p.m. on Thursday. The temple will be closed after the Athazhapuja later in the evening marking the culmination of the 41-day Mandalam festival.

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