The Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sanghom (ABASS) has called upon the Indian Railways to provide travel concession to Sabarimala pilgrims during the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season.
In a statement issued to the Union Minister of State for Railways, the ABASS national vice-president, D.Vijayakumar, said a majority of the pilgrims coming to Sabarimala from different parts of the country belong to either middle class or poorer sections of the society.
Mr Vijayakumar said Railways should grant 40 per cent travel concession to the Sabarimala pilgrims atleast during the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku season.
The ABASS leader said the Railways have been earning a hefty profit through ticket sales and reservation alone from its railways stations at Chengannur, Kottayam and Thiruvalla located nearer to Sabarimala during the two-month long pilgrim season. The Railways have even declared Chengannur the 'Gateway of Sabarimala’ a year ago, he added.
Chengannur situated 81 kms away from Sabarimala is identified as the nearest railway station to Sabarimala and Thiruvalla the only railway station in Pathanamthitta district that houses Sabarimala. Both these places are historically important places that house two ancient temples dedicated to Lord Siva and Lord Vishnu where scores of devotees from different parts of the State used to offer prayers on their way to Sabarimala, the ABASS leader said.
Mr Vijayakumar said Railways should take steps to allot stop for all trains at both the Thiruvalla and Chengannur stations in view of the increasing number of pilgrims coming to Sabarimala by train every year.
He has further called upon the Union Minister to allot atleast one-minute stop for the new ‘19260 Bhavnagar-Kochuveli Express’ train (weekly) at Chengannur.
