Sabarimala temple mulls using robots to calculate donations

The Travancore Devasom Board authorities in Kerala are mulling the deployment of robots at the Sabarimala temple to calculate donations and for the preparing thesacrament.

C.P. Rama Raja Prema Prasad, the TDB commissioner, said that they have begun talks with a Bengaluru-based company to look into the issue of employing robots for easing work at the temple.

"During peak season, many people are employed for counting and separation of rupees and coins, which are packed in bags and then sent to the bank," Prasad told IANS.

According to TDB, the temple has seen an increase in revenue collections of late and there has also been an increase in pilferage of money.

"Another thing that we are looking is the preparation of 'prasadam -- Unniappam'. We are looking forward to receive a clearance from the Kerala High Court and once we obtain it, we will float a tender," said Prasad.

The Sabarimala temple is situated on the Western Ghat ranges, four kilometres uphill from Pamba river in Pathanamthitta district in central Kerala.

The temple is accessible only on foot from Pamba river.

Even though the temple is open on the first few days of every month of the Malayalam calendar, the peak pilgrimage season begins on the first day of the Malayalam month in November and closes on the first day of the Malayalam month in January -- around 60 days.

TDB sources put the total collection by way of pilgrim donations and sale of sacrament in the just concluded season as having crossed Rs.300 crore.