Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple. (File | EPS)
SABARIMALA: With the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple set to open for the Mandala-Makaravilakku season on Friday, lack of enough facilities at the Nilakkal base camp is the devotees’ major cause for concern though both the government and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) have promised everything will be ready in time.
Toilets and resting places are not yet ready while supply of potable water and free food too might take weeks, if the pace of work is any indication.
- Potable water: For the past two decades, the Kerala Water Authority has been depending on tanker lorries, which bring water from 20 km away. The authorities have failed to implement the long-standing proposal for laying a pipeline from Moozhiyar.
- Lack of enough toilets: With the authorities deciding not to allow private vehicles beyond Nilakkal, the base camp will be crowded. A total of 850 toilets, including 300 bio-toilets, there will not be enough.
- Resting place: The authorities have failed to commission adequate resting place for the pilgrims at the base camp. Three of them, each with a 2,000 capacity, will not be ready for use in another two weeks. The dormitory on the TDB building opposite Lord Siva temple can accommodate 1,000, yet all that will be miniscule compared to the inflow of pilgrims, which will run into lakhs.
- Free food supply: The TDB has promised free food to all pilgrims at the base camp, but the absence of a full-fledged complex, like the one at Sabarimala, will affect preparation and distribution of food at Nilakkal. (To be continued)