Kerala floods: No darshan at Sabarimala as Pampa river overflows

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: When the Sabarimala temple opens on Tuesday evening for the `Niraputhari’ festival, devotees will not be able to have darshan this time. The Travancore Devaswom Board has appealed to all the pilgrims to avoid their trekking to the hill shrine due to the rising water level in Pampa river.

"With almost all the dams in the Pathanamthitta districts remain opened, the water level at the Pampa river is rising dangerously. Hence, it will not be safe for the pilgrims to cross the river and trek the hill shrine. Hence, it has been decided to block the devotees at Pampa,’’ said A Padmakumar, president of Travancore Devaswom Board.

He said since the river is overflowing, several shops and the mandapam at Pampa have been severely damaged. Several of the construction activities at Pampa have also been destroyed due to the overflowing water from the river. Both Pampa and Triveni are overflowing and this has blocked the two bridges connecting the Pampa to the hill shrine.

If at all any pilgrims are coming to trek to the hill shrine, then they will send back from Pampa. Necessary instructions have been given to the district administration and the police, said the devaswom president.

"Hence, we request all the devotees to avoid their darshan to the temple for the next two days when the temple will be opened for the ``Niraputhari’’ festival. However, there will be no change in the rituals and poojas. It will be performed as usual. But we are only restricting the devotees this time,’’ he said.

The TDB has asked the district administration to take all the precautionary measures at Pampa to avoid the crowding of devotees and has asked the police to install barricades to prevent any kind of violation. The warning boards have been installed to inform the devotees about the danger while crossing the river.

The temple will open on Tuesday at 5 pm and the `Niraputhari’ festival will be performed on August 15 at 6 am. The temple will close in the evening after harivarasanam. For the Chingam month poojas the temple will again open on August 16 evening.