The Pandalam Palace Managing Committee has rejected the directive of District Police Chief T. Narayanan that those who had taken part in the agitation against the Supreme Court order permitting entry for all women to Sabarimala, should not be permitted to accompany the Thiruvabharanam procession.
Committee secretary A.N. Narayana Varma told The Hindu that the palace would stick to the custom and practices and had made all arrangements for its team to accompany the royal representative who would be escorting the Thiruvabharanam to Sabarimala.
The ceremonial procession carrying the sacred jewellery will set off to Sabarimala from the Valiyakoickal Sastha temple at Pandalam on Saturday.
The palace team comprises 25 devotees to carry the wooden jewel boxes on their head to Sabarimala, seven helpers, and 12 others to carry the palanquin, he said. All the devotees who will be carrying the jewel boxes have observed strict penance for 41 days, Mr. Varma said.
He said the committee had already handed over the list of its team members to the TDB authorities.
As in previous years, the TDB has received as many as 800 applications from Ayyappa devotees seeking `identity pass’ to accompany the Thiruvabharanam procession.
DPC clarifies
Meanwhile, Mr..Narayanan, told The Hindu that the letter issued by his office to the TDB was a reminder for excluding those who had been implicated in various criminal cases registered under Sections 302, 307, 308 of the IPC and under the PDPP Act in connection with the protests against the Supreme Court verdict.
Mr. Narayanan said the police had issue such a reminder to the TDB in previous years too.
