PATHANAMTHITTA: Days ahead of the Thiruvabharanam procession from Pandalam to Sabarimala, devotees and their organisations have raised serious concerns over the poor condition of the historic route, demanding immediate removal of encroachments and obstructions.
The Thiruvabharanam procession, in which the sacred ornaments are carried to the Sabarimala Sannidhanam, is traditionally accompanied by thousands of devotees on foot.
The route stretches 83 km from Pandalam to Sabarimala, passing through over a dozen villages across two taluks. Of this, 43 km runs through inhabited areas, while the remaining 40 km cuts through forest terrain.
“The Thiruvabharanam route, also known as the Rajapatha or Pandalam Thara, was originally built by the Pandalam Raja and once had a width ranging from five to 42 metres. However, widespread encroachments have drastically reduced the width, rendering several stretches non-navigable and unsafe for barefoot pilgrims, including elderly guruswamis accompanying the sacred jewellery,” said Adv D Vijayakumar, general secretary of the Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham.
In 2008, the Thiruvabharanam Patha Samrakshana Samithi approached the court, following which encroachments were surveyed and boundary stones were installed the next year. Despite this intervention, activists allege that encroachments have not been fully removed till now.
Samithi general secretary Prasad Kuzhikkala said several stretches of the route have been obstructed by dumped logs, stones, soil and concrete rings.
The responsibility for maintaining the route in inhabited areas rests with various panchayats, the district panchayat, the public works department and the Kerala State Transport Project.
However, preparatory works have reportedly been delayed this year, allegedly due to the transition to newly elected panchayat committees.