Proposal for curbs on pilgrims’ entry to Sabarimala opposed
SABARIMALA: The proposal for restrictions to the entry of pilgrims at the Lord Ayyappa hill shrine by the police authorities during the annual pilgrimage season attracted widespread criticism from the stakeholders, including the Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham, Pandalam Kottaram Nirvahana Samithi and the Hindu Aikyavedi.
Terming the proposal a violation of religious of freedom enshrined in the Constitution, the proposal at the Sabarimala review meeting chaired by the Chief Minister in Thiruvananthapuram the other day should be treated as a challenge against the right to freedom of worship, the stakeholders said.
The police authorities, instead of offering service to the lakhs of pilgrims who come for darsan of Lord Ayyappa after suffering hardships, wanted to impose restrictions by making mandatory the online booking for the pilgrims, Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham national vice-president D Vijayakumar said.
“The proposal for curbs should not be in the interests and sentiments of crores of pilgrims who offer worship at Lord Ayyappa temple during the pilgrimage season,” Vijayakumar said.
The proposal for mandatory restrictions should be rejected by the government outright as any move in this direction would lead to widespread contempt and protest among the pilgrims and religious-minded people of not only the state but across the country, Vijayakumar said.“The proposal is being mooted at a time when the government earns over Rs 10,000 crore as revenue during the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage,” he said.The proposal for mandatory restrictions on pilgrims for darsan of Lord Ayyappa should be considered as an anti-pilgrim move and a challenge to the Sabarimala pilgrimage, according to Ramavarma Raja, chairman of the Pandalam Kottaram Nirvahana Samithi.
While expressing shock and disbelief on the proposal of the police authorities, Ramavarma Raja pointed out the move should be treated as another misadventure on the lines of the case before the Supreme Court seeking permission for women of all ages to visit Sabarimala temple.“The samithi is against any kind of curbs on the entry of pilgrims at Sabarimala during the two-month pilgrimage season or during monthly pooja days,” Ramavarma Raja said.
The Hindu Aikyavedi condemned the proposal to make online booking mandatory for entry of pilgrims coming to the Sabarimala temple for darsan.Aikyavedi state vice-president K Haridas expressed anguish over the anti-pilgrim proposal on the entry of pilgrims at the Sabarimala temple.
“The government should reject the anti-pilgrim proposal as the move would lead to far-reaching consequences among the religious-minded people of the state and the country as a whole,” Haridas said.
The Aikyavedi would consider the proposal as part of a conspiracy against the Sabarimala pilgrimage and sabotage the increasing flow of pilgrims to Lord Ayyappa temple, he said.