Winds of change at Sabarimala shrine

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The Travancore Devaswom Board is considering drastic changes in the conduct of `neyyabhishekam', offering of ghee, at Sabarimala.

As part of its efforts to introduce a better crowd management system at the hill shrine, the board may stop the practice of performing neyyabhishekam using the ghee offered by pilgrims.

The alternative proposal is to conduct neyyabhishekam using ghee purchased by the board itself and distribute it as prasadam to pilgrims through counters, sources said.

Neyyabhishekam is considered as one of the major offerings. Devotees carry coconuts filled with ghee to the temple and get the abhishekam conducted by the temple priests. However, the long queues for this often upset the crowd management system of the board.

Board president, Mr Rajagopalan Nair, told Deccan Chronicle that TDB was indeed looking into such a proposal.

``The proposal is being discussed in view of the stampede during the last pilgrim season. Our intention is to avoid unnecessary rush at the sanctum sanctorum. However, we have not yet taken a final decision on the proposal,’’, he said.

This is one among a whole lot of proposals that was discussed to improve the crowd management at the temple where more than 3 crore make it during season, he added.

Meanwhile, Vishakam Tirunal P Ramavarma Raja, president of Pandalam palace committee said it would be unfortunate if pilgrims were not allowed to offer ghee they bring to the temple.