Pathanamthitta (Keralam), Nov 8 Keralam Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday appealed to Sabarimala pilgrims to refrain from dumping clothes and slippers in the Pamba River or spitting into it after brushing their teeth, urging them to help preserve its cleanliness.
Chennithala made the appeal while speaking to reporters here after attending a meeting at Sabarimala to review preparations for the Mandalakala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, which begins on November 17.
The season is the annual two-month pilgrimage at Keralam’s famous Lord Ayyappa temple.
The minister said there was no religious or customary practice of discarding clothes and slippers in the river and urged pilgrims to refrain from doing so.
He said preparations for the pilgrimage season were in their final stages, with most of the work already completed.
“Ninety per cent of the work is complete, and the rest will be finished soon,” he said.
Later, in an X post, he said that he reviewed the final preparations for the pilgrimage season with senior officials and police leadership at Nilakkal.
“Reviewed the final preparations for the Sabarimala pilgrimage season with senior officials and police leadership at Nilakkal.”
“The arrangements cover deployment across Sannidhanam, Pamba and Nilakkal, crowd and traffic management, intelligence coordination, CCTV surveillance, temporary police stations and welfare facilities for personnel on duty,” he said.
Chennithala further said that with lakhs of devotees expected during the season, close coordination between the police, government, Devaswom Board and district administration will be critical.
“Preparedness, coordination and service must go together,” he said.
(PTI News)
