KOCHI: With less than a fortnight left for the opening of the Sabarimala pilgrimage season, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is searching ways to revive its sagging finances as 7 months of lockdown has landed the board in crisis. The TDB used to raise revenue for the administration of its 1,248 temples from the two-month annual season, but its coffers are empty due to the steep decline in income caused by the protests against women’s entry, floods and lockdown.
The temple revenue which plummeted to Rs 180 crore in 2018-19 following protests against women’s entry had grown to Rs 263 crore in 2019-20. However, the seven-month lockdown has ruined the finances of the board as income dropped to near-zero.
As the government has decided to conduct the pilgrimage adhering to Covid protocol, only 1,000 pilgrims will be allowed at the hill shrine on weekdays and 2,000 on weekends. The temple used to receive 50,000 to 80,000 pilgrims a day during the season. With restrictions in place, traders have refused to participate in the tendering of shops. The board used to get an assured income of Rs 150 crore from auctioning. The temple received less than Rs 1,000 as offerings box income last month.
Govt faces an uphill task as Sabarimala temple revenue falls
“Not just Sabarimala, the finances of all temples in the state are in doldrums due to the Covid restrictions. The government is considering ways to tide over the crisis. Earlier the government had given Rs 100 crore for administration of temples. The pilgrimage will be conducted adhering to the Covid restrictions,” said Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran. Meanwhile, Sabarimala Karma Samithi and Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam (SASS) have demanded the government to cancel the pilgrimage as devotees will not be able to complete pilgrimage following traditional rituals and practices.
“We have urged the board to cancel the pilgrimage and restrict the festivals to traditional rituals and practices. Allowing devotees will be risky as the gathering could lead to Covid spread. If the priests at the temple contract the disease, it may lead to the closure of the temple,” said SASS state president Akeeramon Kalidasa Bhattathiripad. However, TDB president N Vasu said the board has decided to conduct the pilgrimage adhering to Covid protocol as cancelling the season will hurt many pilgrims.
“Pilgrims will have to produce Covid negative certificate at Nilakkal base camp to proceed to the temple. No one will be allowed to stay on the hill shrine premises during night and guest rooms will not be given on rent. As traders have refused to open shops, the TDB will provide annadanam for devotees. Besides, government departments will open stalls at Sabarimala,” said Vasu.
He said pilgrims can remove mask while trekking to the hill shrine. But they should wear masks on arrival at sannidhanam. The health department will deploy doctors and para-medical staff to ensure medical help to pilgrims. Besides facilities will be provided to quarantine people who test positive. No one will be allowed to meet the thantri and melsanthi and steps will be taken to ensure the safety of the Devaswom staff. Nilakkal will continue to be the base camp and small vehicles will be allowed to drop pilgrims at Pampa. No one will be allowed near the sopanam of the temple. The last two queue lines will be open for pilgrims for darshan, said Vasu.
The board has also decided not to allow mediapersons to stay at sannidhanam. Meanwhile, the traders at Sabarimala staged a standing protest in front of the Gandhi statue in Pathanamthitta on Tuesday, demanding to extend the lease period of the shops for one year in view of the Covid crisis.
“We have lost 70 days of the 142-day-long pilgrim season due to lockdown and the pilgrim footfall will be very low this time. The lockdown has affected our livelihood,” said G Anilkumar, president of Sabarimala traders association.
traders refuse to join tender process
The temple’s revenue which had plummeted to C180 crore in 2018-19 following protests against women’s entry, dropped to near zero after the lockdown
With restrictions in place, traders have refused to participate in the tendering of shops this season
The temple received less than Rs 1,000 in hundi in October