Views Of Royal Family

The pilgrimage to Sabarimala is a symbol of love, equality, and devotion. It is the necessity of this age to spread the message of Ayyappa. There has been vast changes in the nature of Sabarimala pilgrimage during the last 30-40 years. Many of them are neither adaptable to the forest temple nor acceptable to the devotees. Pandalam palace is genuinely concerned with the changes that are made in the various rituals and practices connected with the temple and the pilgrimage. Many of these changes were made in a casual manner. Regarding infrastructure facilities, the administrators failed to identify the real needs of the devotees. This resulted in indiscriminate felling of trees and construction of huge and low quality cement concrete structures. The destruction of trees and wildlife is indeed against the very ethos of Sabarimala pilgrimage. As a result of the disregard for rituals & practices and the mis-directed developmental activities , the pilgrimage is being converted into tourism , with attendant ill-effects.

In fact, a number of executive, judicial, and legislative Committees and Commissions and private Agencies have made elaborate study of the whole problems in Sabarimala and a number of Reports are already available. Pandalam palace have made detailed suggestions before the various Committees. The Palace have taken up these matters with the highest level of authorities in the Government and Devaswom Board as well. To sum up, it is time for a review of all the present practices by a Committee of Thanthries and other experts with statutory powers to suggest and implement necessary corrective steps. Regarding infrastructure developments, it is the view of the Palace that a 'master plan' be conceived and effected to suit the real needs of the devotees and ensuring the sanctity of the forest temple. To counter the inefficiency of the present set-up, most of the Reports mentioned above have suggested formation of a separate Administrative Authority for Sabarimala. The Palace agree to this. Further, with respect to the Kerala Hindu religious and charitable institutions and endowments Bill, 1997, now before the Legislative Assembly , the Palace have made specific proposals for the overall reorganization of the Devaswom Boards and for the improvement of temple administration in general and Sabarimala in particular ,to the satisfaction and benefit to the devotees. It is hoped that the Government and other Authorities are considering the views of the Palace with due seriousness that they deserve.

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