With the Sabarimala gearing up for the annual pilgrimage season next month, the Travancore Devaswom Board said on Tuesday that arrangements are in full swing to ensure a smooth pilgrimage for the devotees despite various geographical limitations of the hill shrine.
Various new facilities, including new "nadapandals," platforms for pilgrims to take rest, water kiosks at various points in the trekking routes, and so on, would be ready by next month, said the board, the apex temple body that manages the Lord Ayyappa temple.
TDB President P S Prasanth said that their effort is to complete the production of at least 35 lakh containers of "aravana" (a sweet offering) by the time the temple opens on the first day of the Malayalam month of Vrichikam.
Acknowledging that there was an unprecedented heavy rush at the temple when it was opened for the monthly poojas on the first day of the Malayalam month of Thulam last week, he said there are certain limitations in the things that can be done at Sabarimala compared to temples like the famed Guruvayoor Sree Krishna temple.
"The area (Sabarimala) cannot accommodate one lakh people. It is an ecologically fragile area... It's a tiger reserve forest... We are actually entering the reserve forest. We have its limitations," the TDB president told reporters here.
He said they cannot provide facilities that are available in Guruvayur or any other shrines located in an urban area.
The board is trying to provide maximum amenities at Sabarimala and its surroundings within the limitations, learning lessons from the mistakes made in the previous year.
The annual Mandalam-Makaravilakkku pilgrimage would begin in Sabarimala by mid-November.
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