THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The much-anticipated Global Ayyappa Sangamam, being organised as a mega event to make Sabarimala a global pilgrim destination, is unlikely to have many prominent national-international dignitaries turning up.
Despite Travancore Devaswom Board extending invites to five Union ministers, chief ministers of all South Indian states, Maharashtra and Goa, only Tamil Nadu responded favourably. With the meet snowballing into a political controversy, most state governments have turned down the invite. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the event at Pampa on Saturday.
TDB president P S Prasanth said TN has confirmed its participation. P K Sekar Babu, Minister of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, and Palanivel Thiagarajan, IT Minister, are expected to attend the event.
On the eve of the Sangamam, the TDB and the state government received yet another setback with the Aikya Mala Araya Maha Sabha, an organisation representing the Mala Araya tribal community, deciding to stay away from the event. P K Sajeev, general secretary of the Sabha, said the decision is in the wake of the state government’s indifference to their request for discussions on reinstating traditional rights of the Mala Araya community at the shrine.
On Wednesday, the Pandalam Palace, which has ritualistic links with the shrine, had issued a statement that it will not send a representative to the meet, owing to the death of a family member. In the statement, the palace managing committee criticised the government for not withdrawing police cases against the devotees who participated in the protests against entry of women into Sabarimala.
“The palace had demanded withdrawal of cases registered against devotees. The government and devaswom boards should honour and work towards conserving temple customs and beliefs. Decisions otherwise cannot be accepted,” it stated.
Event is not politically motivated, says TDB prez
Prasanth said the meet is conceived as a gathering of hardcore Ayyappa devotees.
“The event is neither politically motivated nor to seek donations. We want to hear devotees’ suggestions for development of the shrine. All the participants are ardent devotees who visit the shrine every year. People’s representatives, from within the state and outside too, were invited.
Besides individuals, representatives of various spiritual organisations within India and abroad will attend the event,” he said.
It is learnt that K N Radhakrishnan, director and CEO of TVS Motors, and Gokulam Gopalan, founder of Sree Gokulam Chit and Finance Company, have confirmed their participation.