Makaravilakku is a man-made phenomenon: Travancore Devasam Board
T'Puram, January 31
The Travancore Devaswom Board authorities broke their silence for the
first time amidst the mounting debates on the legitimacy of the
Makaravilakku and said on Monday that Makaravilakku is indeed a man-made
phenomenon.
Addressing the media persons here, Travancore Devaswom Board president M
Rajagopalan Nair said that everybody, including the devotees who visit the
Sabarimala temple, already knew that Makaravilakku was a part of the
rituals of the temple and it was unnecessary to launch any campaigns to
make them aware of it.
On paying compensation to the families of the victims of Pulmedu stampede,
Rajagopalan Nair said that the Board had decided to give ` 2.5 lakh each
to the families as directed the state government. Talks are also on to
bring more land areas in the Idukki district under the insurance limits of
the Travancore Devaswom Board in the wake of the Pulmedu stampede. (A
section of employees had earlier raised the issue of legal impediments in
paying the compensation to the family of the victims pointing out that
Pulmedu, the place where stampede occurred, did not come under the
insurance limits of the Board).
The devotees who visit the Sabarimala pilgrim centre are driven by faith.
Hence the Board has no option to control the volume of crowd who throng
the temple each season by strictly regulating the incoming devotees. There
are too many buildings located at Pampa where commercial shops function.
The Board has decided to demolish some of these buildings in order to make
ample space for the devotees to take rest. The Board members will visit
the place during this week itself and decide upon the buildings that have
to be demolished.
Rajagopalan Nair also said that in a meeting convened by the Travancore
Devaswom Board in which the priests of Sabarimala Temple and the members
of the Pandalam royal family had attended, the proposal to increase the
width of the 'Pathinettam Padi' was dismissed. According to the priests
and the royal family members the whole temple was built according to the
Vastu Sastra and any alteration to a part alone would affect the divinity
of the whole temple. Similarly, the idea of opening the temple to devotees
on all days of the year was also dismissed at the meeting.
Devaswom Board in which the priests of Sabarimala Temple and the members
of the Pandalam royal family had attended, the proposal to increase the
width of the 'Pathinettam Padi' was dismissed. According to the priests
and the royal family members the whole temple was built according to the
Vastu Sastra and any alteration to a part alone would affect the divinity
of the whole temple. Similarly, the idea of opening the temple to devotees
on all days of the year was also dismissed at the meeting.
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