New Delhi: The empowered committee constituted by the Supreme Court has disagreed to the direction to increase the number of pilgrims visiting Sabarimala per day.
The committee opposed the Travancore Devaswom Board’s (TDB) direction seeking to double the number of pilgrims visiting Sabarimala temple from 36,000 at present. A report regarding upgrading the master plan will be handed over to the apex court soon.
According to the Sabarimala master plan, the number of pilgrims visiting the temple was set as 36,000. However, during the empowered committee meeting in New Delhi on December 4, there was an allegation that the TDB was trying to double the number by upgrading the master plan.
Professor Sobheendran, whose advocate had approached the SC against the move to upgrade the Sabarimala master plan at the empowered committee meeting, had sought that only 36,000 pilgrims be allowed to visit Sabarimala per day.
However, the TDB had pointed out that pilgrims reaching the hill shrine in the evening will have to stay there for the night to perform ‘Neyyabhishekam’. Hence, the number of pilgrims visiting the temple could not be controlled. The empowered committee had rejected this demand.
The TDB had filed a petition in SC seeking to upgrade the Sabarimala master plan. Following this, the apex court constituted the empowered committee to study the matter and submit a report.
