Did you see a good deed which deserves a bouquet or a bad deed which deserves brickbats during your pilgrimage? Do you have any suggestion to improve things connected with Sabarimala and the pilgrimage? If so, do let us know.
Send your contributions to the column `Bouquets and Brickbats' by email to gensecy@saranamayyappa.org or by surface mail to The Secretary, Akhila Bharatha Ayyappa Seva Sangham, Fort, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India 695023.
Bouquets to Erstwhile Mel Santhi PJ Narayanan Namboothiri for being the first Mel Santhi to stay at Sabarimala throughout his tenure of 366 days:-
During previous years, Melsanthis and Tantris could leave Sabarimala when the temple is closed. Even now, the Tantris are permitted to go wherever they want once the temple is closed. However, in recent years restrictions have been placed on the movement of the Melsanthi. He cannot leave the Sabarimala - Pampa area till the new Melsanthi takes over at the end of the year. Most of the Melsanthis opt to come down to Pampa and stay there during the period when the temple is closed.
However, for the first time in history, previous year's Melsanthi PJ Narayanan Namboothiri spent 366 days at Sannidhanam. In a conversation with me, he told me that he had never left Sannidhanam except for the Arattu festival, In fact, he came down the Pathinettam Padi only for essential duties associated with his priestly tenure. Rest of the time was spent on top of Pathinettam Padi in the temple premises.
The biggest worry was caused by flies. Once the pilgrims leave the premises, the leftover garbage attracts horde of flies. For a few days, he said, it was impossible to move around without covering the whole body including the face. Wild life could be seen outside temple premises. Poisonous snakes could be seen all over including the living quarters. Often he found snakes in his bedroom and under his bed. All he did was to cast some `bhasmam' in the direction of the snake and pray `Nagaraja, please do not harm us'. That, he said, invariably had the desired effect with the snake crawling out of the way harmlessly.
Loneliness, he said was another problem. He could overcome these through regular prayers and meditation. Due to God's grace, he did not fall ill at any time during the year.
Congratulation to you Sir. May your dedication and devotion continue undiminished.
Bouquets to Dr Muthukaruppan and Dr Thanu Pillai for the Selfless Service:-
During the monthly opening days of the temple, once you leave Vadacherrykara till you reach Sannidhanam, no medical facilities exist. At Sannidhanam a team of two doctors Dr Muthukaruppan and Dr Thanu Pillai are on duty round the clock at the Ayyappa Seva Sangham hospital. They have been coming there for years to volunteer their services without any remuneration. They are there every month on schedule and remain on duty till the last pilgrim leaves. Dear doctors, we salute your spirit of selfless service. May Lord Ayyappa give your the strength to carry on your charitable work for many many years.
Bouquets to Apollo Hospitals and Healthcare Group:-
We are extremely grateful to the Apollo Healthcare Group of Hospitals for inaugurating a top class Cardiac Care Centre at Pampa in December 2000. The Centre is currently operating from ABASS auditorium and is available to any one in cardiac distress. This Centre is manned by 10 doctors and 7 assistants and is open round the clock peak pilgrimage seasons.
Bouquets to Marikar Motors:-
Marikar Motors in association with ABASS has established two round-the-clock mobile workshops, at Pampa, to attend to vehicle breakdown of the pilgrims.Bouquets to the Police Force of 1999-2000:-
To the Traffic Police for the excellent traffic arrangements during this season. Most of the pilgrims that I met concurred with this view, Controlled parking at Pampa, Plappaly and Nilackal and strict enforcement of `no parking' on the roads between these places made the traffic flow smoothly. Traffic jams were avoided. KSRTC also got into the act, though a little late, in organising shuttle services between these places to ferry passengers to and from the designated parking areas. KSRTC needs to fine tune its act so that arrangements are in place when peak season pops up again.
To Mr Purohit IPS and his team of policemen at Pampa. They helped a poor old lady from Delhi to have darshan of Lord Ayyappa at Sannidhanam. These gentlemen financed the lady's trip by `Dolly' from Pampa to Sannidhanam and back, and her further journey to New Delhi via Kottayam.
Brickbats to the Devaswom Board Authorities:-
Unpleasant Experience of a Pilgrim
From: Ramachandran K
To: gensecy@saranamayyappa.org
Subject: An Appeal to relevant authority Date sent: Mon, 12 Jun 2000 07:58:41 +0300
Saranamayyappa,
I had been to Sabarimala on April 11th & 12th and since then some of the things I saw have been hurting me over these period. Few of them are given below:
1. The Holy Pampa river was full of filth including old dress, plastic, bottles etc. Since Mandalam season no cleaning has been carried out to the banks of Pampa. Please give this holy river what it deserves.
2. We took a room at Sannidhanam for Rs.250/- from Devaswom office. They may call it a room, which is not fit for human beings. When you complain the answer is simple..."if you don't want, please return the key...". The room doors have no locks that can be locked from inside. The water from bathroom and toilet leaks into the so-called bed-room. The basin tap was continuously running, because it cannot be closed!!!. Now I know why Pampa has no water. The 'bed-room' has a bench like bed without mattress/sheets/pillow etc.. Upon enquiry the watchman told us that we can get some 'Paya' for an additional payment of Rs.10/-. We got the Paya which no health conscious human being will dare sleep on. Following is a comment from my 7 year old daughter: "I would rather sleep below a tree outside than in this room". My appeal is that the Devaswom should not be allowed to build any such buildings near the Sannidhanam if they cannot maintain it properly. Current situation is a disgrace to Lord Ayyappa. Please.......retain the sanctity of the place.
3. I have heard of people returning from Sabarimala with miraculous cure of diseases. Now-a-days even healthy persons may not come back fit due to the uncontrolled business of restaurants. There are no food inspectors to check for the quality of food and water provided by them. Employees of the approving authority must be made accountable for such grave lapses. This can be easily verified by checking into any restaurant (of course without notice to them).
I do not know whether I am doing the right thing by writing to you.. Many people I met there discouraged me in complaining, saying, "that is a waste of time". I got your reference from the Internet. If you too think that, this has nothing to do with you, please ignore this or pass this to an appropriate authority who can do as little as they can to improve the situation. I will pray for Lord Ayyappa to bless them with whatever required.
Swamiye Saranam Ayyappa
Ramchandran K
Head Information Technology ASRY
PO Box 50110
Bahrain
Brickbats to the Devaswom Board Authorities for not providing services till the last pilgrim has left Sannidhanam.
The arrangements seem to start winding down much in anticipation of the end of the season or the departure of the last pilgrim. I normally arrive at Sabarimala a couple of days before the temple closes. I stay at Sannidhanam till the Thiruvabharanam entourage sets course for Pampa after the temple closes for the season. On 19th Jan, 2000, it was difficult to find appropriate containers to empty all l the contents of the irumudi. In disgust, I saw pilgrims throwing everything into Kanikka Vanjis. No prasadam/aravana were available. Police force had already `thinned out'. Safaiwallahs seem to have departed en-masse and the whole place was in a mess. Litter and garbage were all around. More safaiwalllahs need to stay on for at least a day or two after the last pilgrim has left. No pilgrim should be allowed to climb up from Pampa on 20th morning so that winding up activities could proceed smoothly.
From the Web Master - Experiences during 1999-2000 visit.
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