The main venue has been set up on the banks of the Pampa, with seating for 3,500 delegates inside pandals erected using German technology.
Photo: IANS
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the Global Ayyappa Sangamam at Pampa on Saturday. Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan will preside over the function.
Preparations for the conclave have been completed in Pampa. The main venue has been set up on the banks of the Pampa, with seating for 3,500 delegates inside pandals erected using German technology.
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Several prominent leaders and community representatives, including Tamil Nadu ministers BK Sekhar Babu, Palanivel Thyagarajan, NSS vice-president Sangeeth Kumar, SNDP Yogam general secretary Vellappally Natesan, Sabarimala thantri Mahesh Mohanaru and others, are expected to participate in the Sangamam.
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The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to intervene against a previous Kerala High Court order allowing the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to conduct the Sangamam.
The Congress and the BJP have come out strongly against the government, accusing it of organising the event for political mileage. Leader of the Opposition V D Satheesan on Friday said that the Ayyappa Sangam is being organized by those who stole four kilos of Ayyappa’s gold. The Kerala High Court itself has said that four kilos of gold were lost when the Dwarapalaka sculpture in Sabarimala was taken to Chennai for repair, he said.
AICC general secretary K C Venugopal has said that the LDF government in Kerala should stop using Lord Ayyappa of Sabarimala for political gains.
In a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Venugopal pointed out that organising the Global Ayyappa Sangamam in the name of protecting faith is nothing but hypocrisy on the part of the government.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court stayed an order of the Malabar Devaswom Board (MDB) authorising officials of shrines under it, who are attending the Global Ayyappa Sangamam, to bear the travel and food expenses incurred by them from their respective temples’ funds.
The Devaswom Commissioner on September 18 authorised all divisional Inspectors of the MDB from Kasaragod, Taliparamba, Thalassery, Kasaragod, Manjeri, Perinthalmanna, Guruvayoor, Ottapalam and Palakkad and all temple executive officers who have volunteered to participate in the conclave to bear the travel and food expenses incurred by them from the respective temples’ funds.
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