THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A Geetha Kumari, 65, the first woman to head the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple Trust (ABTT) is elated about the historical role she had been entrusted with. This former director of the Irrigation Design and Research Board will take charge at the temple on Thursday between 9am and 9:30 am.
Geetha will be the first woman chairperson to head ABTT since it was constituted in 1979. Currently, she is an executive member of the trust. Though she had an opponent, the 84-member ABTT unanimously elected Geetha as their leader. She is confident of beating any challenge as long as she is on the right path. “We are only puppets before the divine,” says Geetha.
She has set her hopes high when it comes to developing unused temple land and enhancing its infrastructure. Daughter of late N Balakrishna Pillai, former Maths professor at Government Training College, Thrissur and late M Anadavally Amma, former teacher, Geetha grew up at Manacaud Kuriyathi, a stone’s throw away from Attukal Bhagavathy Temple. Her present abode, ‘Kulangara’, is much closer to the temple. She has the wholehearted support of her husband K M Thampi, a journalist, in her pursuit to spread the glory of the Attukal Temple.