The 'niraputhari' ritual at Sabarimala on August 4 will take place as scheduled despite the prevailing rain situation in Kerala. However, pilgrims will not be permitted the customary dip in the Pamba River considering the high water level.
Divya S Iyer, the collector of Pathanamthitta district, where the famous Lord Ayyappa Shrine is situated, on Tuesday, advised the pilgrims to keep track of the weather and monitor relevant notifications from authorities concerned.
“The intensity of the rain received in the district has come down since yesterday (Monday) when there was a red alert issued. Less than 10mm rainfall was received in the Sabarimala region and considering all this, a review meeting on Tuesday decided that it was safe to proceed with the pilgrimage,” Divya S Iyer told Manorama News.
The meeting was chaired by Health Minister Veena George, who is the minister in charge of the Pathanamthitta district, and attended by the Devaswom Board and other stakeholders.
“Roads from Pathanamthitta and Erumeli have been cleared for the pilgrims. The Swami Ayyappan Road is also being readied by the police and forest department,” said the collector.
However, in the event of an emergency, the district administration has kept on standby “more than the usual number of KSRTC buses, volunteers and ambulances”, informed the collector.
