SABARIMALA: The annual Sabarimala pilgrimage starts in just a couple of days. Still, basic facilities for pilgrims have not been made available at important pilgrim transit camps, including Erumely and Pandalam.
Though the state government had announced a `100-crore package for developing pilgrim transit centres two years ago, hardly any scheme has been launched under the package till date. For the past two decades, authorities have failed to keep the assurances they made at review meetings which were held ahead of the Sabarimala pilgrimage seasons.
As such, inadequate number of toilets, lack of resting place and the unavailability of free food facilities are among the amenities being denied to pilgrims at the transit camps.At the Erumely pilgrim transit camp, where thousands of devotees arrive daily during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season, facilities such as water, toilets, a resting place and food availability are yet to be assured.
The situation is similar at Pandalam Valiyakoickal temple, another important pilgrim transit camp. Here, too, the absence of basic facilities would plague devotees in the coming pilgrimage season, it would seem.
Pilgrim transit centres at Ettumanoor, Vaikom, Ambalapuzha, Haripad, Chettikulangara and Kottarakkara are no better, as many of them lack basic facilities for pilgrims.
Water
Providing water for drinking and bathing after the customary ‘pettathullal’ ritual, would probably be a daunting task for the Devaswom and government authorities. The Kerala Water Authority has failed to implement the integrated proposal to set up a pumping station and pipeline from Koratty river to Erumely temple, even 10 years after it was pitched.
Resting place
Pilgrims reaching Pandalam for darsan as part of Sabarimala pilgrimage are also expected to face a shortage of resting place as the nearby town lacks facilities for their stay.At the transit camp near the railway station in Chengannur, the authorities have failed to implement the scheme meant for pilgrims to take rest or to avail of free food facility.
(Concluded)