Won’t participate in Global Ayyappa Sangamam: Suresh Gopi

Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Tourism Suresh Gopi on Sunday said that he would not participate in the Global Ayyappa Sangamam being organized by the LDF government and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) at Pampa on September 20.

Speaking to media persons in Thrissur on Sunday, Suresh GopI said he would not participate in the global Ayyappa Sangamam under any circumstance.
Travancore Devaswom Board President P S Prashanth had personally invited the Union minister to the Sangam the other day.
Meanwhile, the global Ayyappa Sangamam also got support from Kerala Pulaya Maha Sabha(KPMS). Expressing support for the Ayyappa Sangamam, KPMS General Secretary Punnala Sreekumar said that there was no need for controversy over the entry of women and that the Supreme Court would decide it.
Earlier, the Nair Service Society (NSS) clarified that it would cooperate, if the aim of the Ayyappa Sangam is development work that protects the sanctity of Sabarimala without compromising on rituals. Even while declaring full support, the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam had demanded that the cases filed against those protesting against the entry of women be withdrawn.
Meanwhile, Suresh Gopi on Sunday visited the site of the controversial “pookkalam” (floral carpet) arranged on the theme of Operation Sindoor at the Parthasarathy temple in Muthupilakkad in Kollam. Suresh Gopi reached the temple along with BJP activists on Sunday evening. He expressed solidarity with persons against whom the Kerala Police have registered an FIR for arranging the Pookalam by scattering sindoor (crimson) inside the controversial floral carpet in front of the temple.
BJP Kerala president Rajeev Chandrasekhar has strongly criticized the action of the Kerala Police in having registered an FIR for arranging a “pookkalam” (floral carpet) on the theme of Operation Sindoor, calling it a seditious act.
In a post on social media platform X on Saturday, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said Operation Sindoor is the pride of all patriotic Indians. It is a symbol of the strength and fighting spirit of our armed forces. It should be remembered that Operation Sindoor was a brave military action that avenged the deaths of 26 innocent tourists who were killed by terrorists identifying their religion, he said.
“This is Kerala. It is a proud part of India. Yet, an FIR has been lodged for making a Pookkalam with the words “Operation Sindoor” in it. Absolutely Unacceptable!” Chandrasekhar wrote in his post on X.
The temple administration states that it respects Operation Sindoor . However, it is opposed to the use of the flag and picture of a political party in the temple premises.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi has announced financial assistance from the Centre as an Onam gift to the famous Pulikali groups in Thrissur.
An amount of Rs 3 lakh has been allocated to each group. Suresh Gopi himself informed this in a Facebook post.

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He also clarified that this is the first time in history that the Union Ministry of Tourism is allocating Rs 3 lakh to the Pulikali groups in Thrissur as part of the Domestic Promotion and Publicity including Hospitality (DPPH) scheme. He said in his post that this is his Onam gift to the Pulikali groups. Suresh Gopi also thanked Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for providing all kinds of help in making this possible.

Pulikali, also known as the Tiger Dance, is one of Kerala’s most vibrant and unique folk art forms. Celebrated on the fourth day of the Onam festival, artists paint their bodies with stripes of yellow, red, and black to resemble tigers and dance to the rhythm of traditional percussion instruments such as thakil, udukku, and chenda. The festival takes place at Swaraj Ground in Thrissur district and attracts both locals and visitors who join in the revelry.

Performers, known as Pulikalikkar, undergo special training to perfect the art of dancing in the guise of tigers or cheetahs. They use body paint and face masks to achieve the appearance of these animals, with dark yellow and black stripes and spots that become smaller as they reach the belly. The face mask is crafted from paper, glue, and materials such as bicycle tubes and common rattan plants. Achieving the tiger resemblance requires considerable effort, with the final touch-up using conventional colors for the face.