Residents oppose relocation of pilgrim facilities from Sathram

A view of Sathram pilgrim centre at Vandiperiyar in Idukki

With another Sabarimala pilgrim season around the corner, temple authorities and local residents in Sathram — the entry point to the traditional forest trekking route leading to the Sabarimala hill shrine — have urged the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to secure 20 acres of land at Sathram and set up essential facilities for pilgrims.

​Addressing a press conference in Kumily on Monday, local residents and authorities of the Sathram Subrahmanya Swami Temple criticised the district administration’s decision to shift the vehicle parking area and token distribution counter from Sathram to Vallakadavu/Walardie near Vandiperiyar.

​Sathram Subrahmanya Swami Temple Protection Council member C.R. Sajeev said that pilgrims traditionally camp overnight at Sathram before beginning their trek to the hill shrine early the following morning. ”This year, however, vehicle parking and token distribution have been relocated to Walardie in Vandiperiyar. Camping at Sathram overnight is a traditional practice for hundreds of devotees. With the venue shifted, pilgrims will have to travel back and forth between Sathram and Walardie before they can begin trekking through the forest path. Shifting the venue during the final phase of the season last year turned out to be a major failure,” Mr. Sajeev said.

​He added that devotees taking the traditional forest route customarily visit the Sathram temple for darshan before heading to Sabarimala. ”By moving the facilities, this traditional practice is disrupted. We do not understand the rationale behind the district administration’s decision to relocate the venue to Walardie,” he said.

​According to temple committee leaders, the Devaswom Board owns more than 20 acres of land in Sathram, which is more than adequate to provide parking and lodging facilities. ”The land in Sathram currently lies abandoned and faces the threat of encroachment. Our demand is that the TDB protect the land and set up necessary facilities for pilgrims and local communities,” they stated. ​Official records indicate that the number of devotees trekking via the Sathram–Sabarimala forest route continues to rise each year.