Thiruvananthapuram: Amid charges of political appeasement ahead of crucial local body and assembly polls, the Kerala government, led by the CPI (M), Saturday held the Global Ayyappa Sangamam, emphasising the Sabarimala temple’s “inclusive image” and unveiling multiple infrastructure projects aimed at ensuring better access to the temple.
The temple, located in the Pathanamthitta district, is among the most popular pilgrimage centres in Kerala, seeing a steady inflow of devotees from across the country.
The one-day event was organised jointly by the Kerala government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) in Pampa, where the temple is located, as part of the TDB’s diamond jubilee celebrations.
The days preceding the event saw criticism from the opposition UDF and BJP, who accused the ruling LDF of using the global devotee conference for political gain and appeasement.
The conference also comes nearly six years after the LDF faced one of its worst setbacks in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, winning only one of Kerala’s 20 seats (Alappuzha), in what was seen as backlash for initially supporting the 2018 Supreme Court order allowing the entry of women of all ages into the Sabarimala temple.
On Saturday morning, the inaugural function of the devotee conclave was attended by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Tamil Nadu ministers P.K. Sekar Babu and Palanivel Thiagarajan, other ministers from the state and Vellappally Nadesan, chief of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam. The event saw sessions across three venues on crowd management, religious tourism, and the Sabarimala Master Plan, with participation from devotees, authorities, and policy experts.
Inaugurating the event in the morning, Vijayan said the congregation had been organised to develop the temple to ensure smooth entry and stress-free pilgrimage, as the temple, which earlier only received pilgrims from Kerala, was now seeing devotees from across the globe. He also highlighted that Sabarimala was a place radiant with “secular and spiritual values”, where people of all castes and faiths come together.
“Ayyappa’s daily lullaby, Harivarasanam, was composed by atheist Devarajan Master and sung by Christian singer Yesudas, symbols of unity in diversity. Pilgrims bow at Vavar mosque and also make offerings at the Christian church in Arthunkal. How many temples in the world embody such interfaith harmony? This is Sabarimala’s uniqueness,” Vijayan said.
He added that the congregation emphasised on transforming Sabarimala into a globally recognised pilgrimage hub by highlighting spiritual inclusiveness and upgrading infrastructure, similar to Madurai and Tirupati, focusing on eco-friendly development and a smooth pilgrimage experience, with suggestions from devotees on transport and connectivity.
The chief minister further announced that the Rs 1,033 crore-worth Sabarimala Master Plan will be executed for the overall development of Sabarimala, including the shrine, Pampa, as well as the trek route to the temple. Besides this, Rs 300 crore will be allocated between 2025 and 2030 for improving basic facilities for devotees.
Addressing the valedictory ceremony, Kerala Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan said Sabarimala was the only temple in the world that highlighted inclusivity, and the devotee event was being held to transform the site into a global pilgrimage centre.
“This is not an event to conclude the efforts. Many works had begun in the past but never progressed. With the help of Thiruvananthapuram Engineering College, we prepared a new master plan considering the ecology and importance of the temple. We are forming an 18-member committee for the implementation of this plan,” the minister said.
He added that suggestions received from delegates will be considered in the master plan as well as for the future development of the temple, and that initial works are underway for a proposed international airport, railway project as well as the nearly 3 km ropeway project connecting the town of Pampa and the temple. The master plan was approved by the state cabinet in January this year for the overall development of the pilgrim site.
Addressing the gathering, Vasavan also read out letters from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, wishing the event success.
Also Read: Kerala: LDF govt’s global meet for Sabarimala devotees triggers ‘Hindu appeasement’ taunt by BJP
Barrage of criticism
The event assumes political significance as it comes seven years after the Sabarimala protests of 2018, following the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment allowing women of all ages to enter the shrine. It led to widespread protests by a section of devotees.
Though the LDF supported the Supreme Court judgment, it faced much criticism from the Congress and BJP. This extended to Saturday’s event.
Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan said the devotee conference was being held months ahead of elections for political gain.
Kerala BJP leader M.T. Ramesh, too, said the conference was not about devotees but was a political event of the LDF to overcome public sentiment following the Sabarimala verdict.
“The government, which hasn’t done anything for the development of the temple in the last nine years, is suddenly preparing a master plan as an eyewash. They have no answers on whether they are willing to withdraw the cases filed during the Sabarimala protests. All devotees know what the Pinarayi government did,” Satheesan told the media, alleging that the Kerala government meant to give communal forces a voice.
Vijayan had acknowledged the criticism over the timing of the event as the state heads for crucial polls. He, however, said the conclave was not a decision taken overnight, as alleged, but the outcome of years of discussions, as devotees from countries like Malaysia and Singapore had expressed the desire that Sabarimala be made globally significant.
“It is regrettable that some even went to court to stop this. Is it not clear to everyone that what motivates them is neither devotion to Ayyappa, nor interest in forest conservation, nor concern for religious purity?” he said.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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