Sabarimala 2013 – A ‘Green’ Pilgrimage

Another mandala season has arrived, bringing with it cold, crisp, foggy mornings complete with the energetic cries of ‘Swamiye Saranamayyappa’ by ardent devotees. Kerala seems all geared up to meet the massive inflow of about 2.5 crores of devotees flowing into Sabarimala from all parts of the country.

One heartening piece of news which makes this season different from previous years is the fact that the State govt, acting under the orders of the honorable High Court, has issued a complete ban of plastic and other non-biodegradable materials in Sabarimala, with the intention of protecting the fragile ecosystem of this divine place of pilgrimage. Infact, several voluntary organizations had already undertaken a massive cleanup operation on the trekking path as well as the Sannidhanam recently, thus making it free from all accumulated plastic debri and other litter. This is a tiny step towards keeping Sabarimala clean and green, but definitely a noteworthy one and I hope that pilgrims comply with the rules and cooperate with the officials.

I was also pleasantly surprised to see an article by Sabarimala’s Tantri, Kandararu Rajeevaru in a newspaper, appealing all devotees to refrain from using plastic materials like containers, wrappings, bags, etc in their ‘irumudikettu’ and replace it with ece-friendly materials like cloth or paper. Similarly, he has also appealed to the pilgrims to deposit used plastic pet water bottles in designated dustbins only. I totally appreciate the Tantri’s concerns regarding the pollution of the sacred place of pilgrimage and his efforts to keep the area clean and sacred.

A lot more need to be done by the govt and concerned authorities in preserving and maintaining the temple environment, but above all, it is up to each one of the pilgrims to understand they are totally responsible for the conservation and upkeep of the serene surroundings that is the abode of the Lord Aiyappa.  

May the Lord’s blessings be with each one of you.