The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on Wednesday submitted before the Kerala High Court that it is not possible to insist on rice gruel (Kanji) alone at Sabarimala and such norms will affect the flow of the pilgrims.
The court had suggested that no articles of food other than ‘Kanji’ and necessary side dishes should be provided in connection with the Sabarimala festivities and monthly pujas.“It is not practical to change the food habits of crores of devotees visiting the hill shrine. There should be special care regarding the food provided to pilgrims from other states. The pilgrimage may take to two or three days and giving Kanji to the pilgrims during all these days is not viable,” the TDB said.
In an affidavit, TDB secretary P R Anitha submitted that it was willing to provide rice gruel instead of other food articles at the Annadana Mandapam owned by the Board. It is not practical to impose a ban on food brought by the pilgrims, the Board said.The TDB also said that the court’s suggestion that the stretch where pilgrims wait from the Nadapanthal down to the Marakkoottam should be fenced off to prevent wild pigs from reaching the barricades, is not at all practical.
The fencing will disturb the free movement of elephants and the place is included in the Periyar Tiger Reserve. However, barricade would be erected at Nadappanthal, Pandithavalam, Bhasmakkulam, Uralkkuzhi and Jyothi Nagar. “In the wake of the pilgrim season, toilet construction has been completed at Pampa, Sannidhanam and Erumeli,” the Board said.
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