Sabarimala row: Worry lines deepen as lower footfalls hit business hard

As Devotees trickled in and out his 3,000-sqft hotel at Sannidhanam, A Salim shifted his position at the cash counter uneasily.
Devotees eat at a hotel at Sannidhanam on Saturday. Hoteliers say fewer number of pilgrims has impacted their revenue | A sanesh
Devotees eat at a hotel at Sannidhanam on Saturday. Hoteliers say fewer number of pilgrims has impacted their revenue | A sanesh

SABARIMALA: As Devotees trickled in and out his 3,000-sqft hotel at Sannidhanam, A Salim shifted his position at the cash counter uneasily. He had prepared for a busy pilgrim season, but lower footfalls following the Supreme Court verdict and the ensuing protests have turned his calculations upside down. Salim, who won the tender again to run the largest hotel at the Sannidhanam bidding Rs 1.71 crore, said he used to earn over Rs 1 lakh in a day last year. But he is now struggling to find money to meet the day-to-day expenses, including the salary of his employees.

“We look forward to this season. The controversial order has stopped people from entering the hill shrine. We were earning Rs 1 lakh in a day last year, but now we get Rs 30,000 a day. After the Supreme Court order, devotees are scared of visiting the place. The agitation at Nilakkal also stopped people from coming here,” Salim told ‘Express’.

The impact of lower footfalls is also felt by other hoteliers. “Our hotel owner won the bid by spending nearly `70 lakh. To be profitable we will have to make `1 lakh in a day. But now we are in a state of despair as we are struggling to meet the day-to-day expenses. The controversies over the entry of women have literally made our life difficult,” said a hotel worker, who preferred not to be identified. Ratheesh, who works in a small shop said the business has been affected badly this season.

“Every year, the devotee footfall in the last leg of Sabarimala season goes up high. This is the first time I seeing such a situation. Besides, the Supreme Court the recent flood also has played a major role in stopping people from other states to visit the hill shrine,” he said. Not just the established hotels, even the wayside eateries are facing the heat.

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