At least a year needed to provide basic facilities at Sabarimala: Observer panel to HC

A three-member panel of observers appointed by the Kerala High Court for Sabarimala has submitted its report, saying it would take at least one year to provide basic facilities at the Lord Ayyappa temple due to the Supreme Court judgement which allowed the entry of women into the shrine.

The high court had directed the observers to ensure that adequate facilities are made available by Travancore Devaswom Board, which administers the temple, for the usual number of pilgrims and the additional inflow expected due to the apex court judgement.

In a historic verdict in September last year, the Supreme Court ruled against the restriction on entry of women of menstrual age, between 10 to 50 years, into the temple.

In its report, dated January 3, the panel noted that there are two separate steep roads through dense forests -- a 3.1 km traditional path and a 3.53 km long Swamy Ayyappan Road -- to reach the hill shrine.

"For implementing the Supreme Court judgement, many more additional facilities like latrines, urinals, drinking water etc are to be provided along both the routes for this additional category of devotees, apart from tight police security, considering the age factor of the new category of devotees," the panel said in its report.

The report also mentioned the large scale devastation caused in Pamba base due to the floods in August 2018.

It noted that during the unprecedented floods, much of the facilities at Pamba were washed away, as a result of which Nilakkal had to be made the base camp.

The panel also said since women devotees in the age group of 10-50 years were not visiting Sabarimala at present, the number of additional devotees on account of the apex court judgement could not be assessed with certainty.

"Therefore, we are of opinion that it would take a minimum of one year to provide at least basic facilities for devotees, considering the additional inflow on account of the Supreme Court judgement, when (it is) implemented in full," it said.

The panel, comprising retired Kerala High Court judges S Sirijagan and P R Raman and senior Indian Police Service officer A Hemachandran, was set up on November 28 last year to oversee the pilgrimage at Sabarimala. The court also gave it to the power to oversee law and order and other problems faced by pilgrims.

The court had directed the panel to submit its report while considering a plea filed by a young woman devotee, seeking entry into the hill shrine.

The temple was closed on January 20 after a two-month-long stormy annual pilgrimage season, which saw protests by devotees and right-wing groups against the CPI(M)-led state government's decision to implement the Supreme Court verdict.

The temple will re-open on February 13 for prayers in the Malayalam month of 'Kumbham'.