The holy hillock of Sabarimala Sannidhanam is fast attaining a clean look. Thanks to the intensive pre-pilgrimage cleaning operation undertaken by the Mata Amrutanandamayi Math at the Sannidhanam from Saturday.
`Amala Bharathom’ extended
Meanwhile, Swami Amritaswaroopananda Puri, Mata Amritanandamayi Math vice-president, said the popular cleaning project, `Amala Bharathom’, has been extended to Sabarimala too, considering its importance as the largest pilgrimage centre in the whole South India.
The shabby look of the temple pond `Bhasmakkulam’ has been changed for the better. The committed volunteer force of the Math have cleared the entire filth from the pond as well as its surroundings by Saturday afternoon itself.
Similarily, the Lower Tirumuttom, Malikappuram area and Pandithavalom where thousands of pilgrims used to camp on a daily basis during the annual pilgrim season have also been thoroughly cleaned by Sunday afternoon, regaining the serene ambience of the holy hillock.
Raju Swami, Math spokesman at Sabarimala, told The Hindu that the Urakkuzhi area would be cleaned on Monday.
According to him, as many as 4700 volunteers took part in the massive cleaning operation at the Sannidhanam on the first two days. Besides the inmates of the Mata Amritanandamayi Ashrams at Vallikkavu in Kollam and elsewhere, a large number of followers of the spiritual guru, Mata Amrutanandamayi, as well as students and staff attached to various educational institutions of the Math are taking part in the cleaning drive at Sabarimala.
25,000 bags of waste
The Math volunteers have already removed as many as 25,000 bags of waste collected from different parts of the Sannidhanam to the incinerator yard at Paandithavalom as on Sunday forenoon.
The Math spokesman said the volunteers would thoroughly wash the cemented grounds and floors of the Valiya Nadappanthal, premises of the temple and various other shrines, fly-overs, etc, at the Sannidhanam on Monday. The Math is planning to complete the cleaning drive at the Sannidhanam by Monday afternoon. Another batch of 500 volunteers from Coimbatore and Bangalore would be joining the sanitation team at the Sannidhanam on Monday morning, Math sources said.
The plastic, soft plastics, rags of colthes, pet bottles and other solid wastes, have been removed in separate bags, they said.
Gurudas Chaitanya and Tapasyamritha Chaitanya of the Math are co-ordinating the cleaning drive at Sabarimala and Pampa.
The Travancore Devaswom Board has provided food and accommodation to the volunteers at the Sannidhanam.
At Pampa
The Math sources said the cleaning drive at Pampa would be held on Monday.
As many as 1500 volunteers, including women inmates of the Math as well as various Ashrams and girls attached to the educational institutions of the Math, would take part in the programme.
The volunteers would also extend their cleaning programme to the trekking path. The Math is planning to complete the cleaning drive at Pampa too by Monday evening so that the work will not affect the classes and office work of various volunteers participating in it, sources said.
Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy, will formally inaugurate the cleaning drive at Pampa at 9 am on Monday.
The Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sanghom, Satya Sai Seva Samiti, National Service Scheme and Vana Samrakshana Samits attached to the eco-development committees of the Forest department, will also take part in the cleaning drive at Pampa on Monday.
