The Travancore Devaswom Board will be citing its inability to complete the restoration of basic pilgrim facilities at the flood-ravaged Pampa as the main reason in its application before the Supreme Court seeking time for implementing the order permitting women of all ages to the Ayyappa temple.
Talking to The Hindu , TDB president A.Padmakumar and board member K.P.Sankaradas said the deluge in mid-August destroyed almost all basic amenities at Pampa.
The huge pilgrim shelter Ramamurthy Mandapam, which used to accommodate 5,000 people, and the roofed Nadappanthal (pathway) had been washed away. Three multi-storey toilet blocks that housed 270 latrines had been destroyed and the Annadana Mandapam, where the TDB used to feed pilgrims, had been badly damaged, they said.
Mr. Padmakumar said the board’s efforts to restore basic facilities at Pampa and Nilackal had been disrupted due to the protests by Hindu organisations against the attempts by a few women activists to visit Sabarimala in the past 45 days. Moreover, the TDB could not make sufficient basic amenities for women pilgrims expected to visit Sabarimala in the wake of the Supreme Court order in such a short time frame, he said.
Mr. Padmakumar said the TDB would place all these facts before the apex court in its application seeking more time for complying with the court order soon.
