Record revenue collection at Sabarimala

Increase in ₹15 crore compared to this time last season

December 12, 2017 08:13 pm | Updated December 13, 2017 12:32 am IST - PATHANAMTHITTA

 Rush at Sabarimala

Rush at Sabarimala

The revenue collection at the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala has crossed an all-time record of ₹101 crore during the first 25 days of the ongoing annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrim season.

According to Travancore Devaswom Baord (TDB) sources, this is against the ₹85.96 crore revenue collection during the corresponding period in the previous pilgrim season, posting an increase of ₹15 crore in the first 25 days of the curresnt season.

Total collection

The total revenue collection as on Monday is ₹101,08,80,925.

The sale of Aravana and Appam alone has fetched ₹44,72,61,580 and 7,90,41,165 respectively.

The Hundi (Kaanicka) collection was ₹35,89,26,885, the sources said.

The rush of devotees continued on Tuesday too.

Five-hour wait

They have to wait for a minimum of three to five hours inside the thickly packed barricades along the Marakkoottom-Saramkuthi-Sannidhanam path for holy darshan.

Children and senior citizens, especially elderly women, were found to be the worst affected. Though the police and Central forces are at the service of the children and elderly pilgrims, they have to wait along with the group.

Rain pose problems

The rain in the forests has been posing problems to the pilgrims, as the holy hillock does not have adequate shelters to protect them from the rain.

The flyover leading to the Malikappuram temple has been earmarked for the pilgrims to queue up for the Neyyabhishekom offering and the space beneath the flyover on the northern side of the Ayyappa temple complex has been cordoned off for the new ‘Bhandaram’ under construction, drastically reducing the roofed space for the pilgrims to protect themselves from the scorching sun and the intermittant rain.

Sabarimala received heavy rain on Tuesday afternoon too.

KSRTC parking area

Meanwhile, District Collector and the District Magistrate R. Girija has directed the Forest department to facilitate vehicle parking on the 75 cents of forest land adjoining the KSRTC bus station at Pampa till 5 p.m. on January 22.

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