A 1,000-strong Amala Bharathom volunteers of the Mata Amritanandamayi Math have started removing the filth accumulated in the nook and cranny of Sabarimala as part of a two-day intensive pre-pilgrim season cleaning drive at the pilgrimage centre on Saturday.
The volunteers reached the holy hillock on Friday evening and Sabarimala Melsanthi E.S. Sankaran Namboodiri inaugurated the bhajan. Swami Gurudas Chaitanya of the Math is supervising the cleaning work.
Brahmachari Raju, programme coordinator, and Brahmachari Sudeep, Amrita Viswavidyapeedhom director, told The Hindu that the holy hillock has been divided into 10 segments for the easy and systematic cleaning work by the volunteers.
Math thanked for services
Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) member Ajay Tharayil inaugurated the cleaning work on Saturday morning. Mr Tharayil said the board was heavily indebted to the Math for the services rendered by the volunteers.
The Math has been carrying out the cleaning drive at Sabarimala since the past eight years. This is the 11th time the Math is conducting the cleaning drive at Sabarimala, Swami Gurudas Chaitanya said.
The volunteers removed 5,000 bags of solid waste from Sabarimala, Malikappuram, Paandithavalom and surrounding areas. All the incinerators at the Sannidhanam and the one at Cheriyanavattom were running in full swing.
Another batch of 500 women volunteers would join the team at Pampa on Sunday, Swami Gurudas Chaitanya said.
A medical team from the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, too is camping at its seasonal medical centre at Pampa.
