Concerns of the volatile security situation in Sabarimala this pilgrim season are having a spiralling effect on the pilgrimage-related business in Kottayam district.
Erumely town, a base station of Sabarimala, is yet to witness a huge influx of pilgrims even a week into the season.
Unlike the brisk business they did during the previous seasons, the parking lots and seasonal shops here are lying deserted for most part of the day.
The average daily revenue of each of the five parking lots under the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) here has fallen to ₹17,000-18,000 as against last season’s ₹70,000. The average number of vehicles using the parking facilities has also dropped from 1,500 to 400-450 a day.
80% fall in returns
The shops leased out by the TDB at Erumely, which sell materials for the Pettah Thullal ritual, have reported up to 80% fall in returns, says K.R. Soji, a shop contractor.
He rues the impact of the media coverage on the fragile situation in Sabarimala coupled with the inclement weather in Tamil Nadu for the thinning of pilgrim footfalls.
Business at Erumely
“Business in Erumely, as in Sabarimala, relies on this two months to carry on for a whole year. As the first round of e-auctioning was carried out before the apex court verdict, several of the shops, parking lots and latrine complexes were leased out on a price at least 10% higher than the previous year’s. In the face of a huge loss, the contractors are now planning to approach the court seeking compensation from the TDB,” he says.
Hundi collection
Similarly, the hundi collection at the two major temples at Erumely including the Sree Dharmasastha temple had dropped to ₹1.75 lakh as against ₹5 lakh in the first five days of the previous season.
TDB officials, however, maintain that they are yet to ascertain the downturn in revenue.
Sector-wise analysis
“A sector-wise analysis is on and it is too premature to comment on the trend as pilgrim movement is expected to pick up steam soon,” says C. Chandrasekharan, TDB administrator, Erumely Further, the wayside shops which mushroomed on both sides of National Highway 183 at the start of the season have wound up business.
Major transit stations en route to Sabarimala like Vaikom, Ettumanur and Kadappattoor have also witnessed an unprecedented decline in arrival of devotees in the initial days of the pilgrimage.
KSRTC revenue dips
The fall in pilgrims has driven down the revenue of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, which operates 25 buses to Sabarimala from the Kottayam depot, even though there has been a 30% hike in its fares compared to previous year’s.
The depot here has recorded a daily average collection of ₹2 lakh during the first week of the season as against ₹3.5 lakh in the same period last year, says V.M. Abdul Nasar, District Transport Officer, Kottayam.
