The Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa Dharma Parishath (SSADP) would open 100 service centres across the State for pilgrims during the forthcoming Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival, said the parishath president, Ayarkunnam Raman Nair.
In a statement issued here on Tuesday, Mr Nair said SSADP would provide health care, information centre, and Annadanam for Sabarimala pilgrims in association with the Travancore Devaswom Board and the Government at Sabarimala, Pampa, Nilackal, Pandalam, Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta, Erumely, Kadappattoor, Ettumanur, Kottayam, and Guruvayur during the period.
He said the parishath would work in tandem with various Ayyappa Temple committees outside Kerala to extend transport facility to Sabarimala.
Mr Nair has called upon the Railways as well as the road transport corporations of different States to provide travel facility to all Ayyappa devotees at 50 per cent concessional rate during the annual pilgrim season.
He said the State Government should do away with different kind of taxes for the facilities provided to the pilgrims during the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku festival season.
The Parishath leader has further called upon the TDB and other devaswom boards not to charge any parking fee on the vehicles carrying Sabarimala pilgrims at Pampa, Nilackal and the parking lots attached to various other major temple complexes in the State.
Mr Nair said SSADP would move Kerala High Court, if the TDB failed to do away with the practice of collecting parking fee on the vehicles carrying pilgrims to Sabarimala.
