Tamil Nadu Minister for Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments K.R. Periakaruppan has put forward a set of suggestions to ease the woes of pilgrims who visit Sabarimala from the State.
Addressing a meeting of Devaswom Ministers and Secretaries of the southern States organised by the State government here on Thursday, Mr. Periakaruppan sought a single window system for collecting various fees to avoid wastage of time during the pilgrimage. The meeting was organised to discuss the arrangements to be made for the ensuing pilgrimage season.
Mr. Periakaruppan wanted the Kerala government to set up centres for issuing tickets for various poojas in Chennai, Coimbatore, Kanyakumari and Palani and offer packages including fare, boarding and lodging at concessional rates.
Modern techniques should be used to keep the river Pamba clean. Toilets, dormitories and eateries should be provided at the stopovers like Tenkasi, Kumili and Kumili so that plastic waste can be eliminated. Eco-friendly and bio-degradable containers and bags should be provided at affordable prices at various places on the way to Sabarimala.
Modern communication facilities should be provided to keep the pilgrims abreast of the latest developments in Sabarimala. More amenities like food, shelter, toilets, emergency medical care and dormitories should be provided for the pilgrims staying overnight to offer ‘abhishekam’. If the State government provided land in Sabarimala, the Tamil Nadu government will bear the cost of construction, Mr. Periakaruppan said.
