No Sabarimala temple festival this year, devotees not to be allowed entry when it reopens
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Devotees will not be allowed entry to the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple during the next monthly reopening. A meeting chaired by Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran in the state capital on Thursday also decided not to conduct the annual festival.
The meeting was held in the wake of conflicting opinions of the Travancore Devasom Board which manages the temple and the thantris. The board was of the view that restricted entry of devotees could be allowed and the festival conducted with certain restrictions.
Soon after the TDB president N Vasu's announcement in this regard, Kandararu Mahesh Mohanararu, one of the thantris, shot a letter to the board seeking a rethink. The minister then convened a meeting of Vasu and Mohanararu in which the latest decision was taken.
The minister later told media persons that the thantri's demand was just and was approved. He further said the government decision to allow restricted entry to all religious shrines was based on the Centre's direction. Or else, the opposition parties would have incited religious sentiments, he said.
Mahesh Mohanararu said that the board had consulted him on the conduct of the festival and he had given necessary direction on the date and timings. But the letter was in the backdrop of the changed circumstances in which the pandemic spread increased, he said
On Wednesday, Vasu had said that the board's recommendation to the Chief Minister to reopen the shrine for devotees was after consultation with the thantris. The recommendation was made at the video conference convened by the Chief Minister with religious heads and representatives of worship centres.