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Kerala / The New Indian Express

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Curb pollution in Pampa caused by discarded clothes: Kerala High Court

KOCHI: Expressing concern over pollution in the Pampa caused by the discarding of clothes by Sabarimala pilgrims, the Kerala High Court on Friday directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to launch a campaign against the practice. The TDB must educate pilgrims that discarding clothes in the river is not a ritual, the Division Bench comprising Justice Raja Vijayaraghavan V and Justice K V Jayakumar ordered. Large quantities of clothes are discarded in the river by pilgrims bathing in the Pampa on their return from Sabarimala, with many of those following the practice being from other states. The court said the TDB should launch a campaign to educate pilgrims that no such ritual exists, the court said. SADYA TO BE SERVED TO PILGRIMS FROM TUESDAY Pathanamthitta: As part of the Annadanam initiative, a full-fledged traditional Kerala sadya (meal) will be served to pilgrims at Sabarimala from December 2, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president K Jayakumar said on Friday. The sadya will will be served between 12 noon and 3 pm, using steel plates and tumblers. Each day, a different variety of payasam will be served. Jayakumar clarified that due to practical constraints the sadya will not be served on banana leaves as traditionally done. There is an issue of availability and also of disposal. The leaves could create complications at the incinerator and may even attract elephants. Therefore, we have decided to use specially designed steel plates to serve the meal. The plates will arrive today, he said. A forest official engaged in catching a snake KSRTC LAUNCHES NEW INTER-STATE SERVICES FOR SABARIMALA PILGRIMS Kochi: In a move aimed at easing travel for millions of pilgrims from neighbouring states visiting the Sabarimala temple, the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has launched new interstate bus services connecting Pampa directly to destinations in Tamil Nadu.The services in the Pampa-Coimbatore section have commenced. The bus operating in the Coimbatore-Pampa section departs at 9.30pm, allowing pilgrims to reach the holy base camp in the morning. The return journey from Pampa to Coimbatore is scheduled for 9am.KSRTC is all set to inaugurate the Pampa-Tenkasi service starting Saturday. The bus from Tenkasi will depart at 7pm, providing an overnight journey to Pampa. The return bus from Pampa to Tenkasi will leave at 9am. SABARIMALA FOOTFALL CROSSES 11-LAKH MARK Pathanamthitta: The number of devotees who have had darshan at Sabarimala this pilgrimage season has crossed 11 lakh. As of 7 pm on Friday, a total of 11,17,450 pilgrims have visited the shrine. On the 13th day of the Mandalam season, from midnight to 7 pm on Friday, 79,442 pilgrims trekked to Sannidhanam. Despite the rush, devotees are returning after a smooth darshan, as a result of the effective crowd management arrangements in place. Forest dept ramps up facilities on forest route Pathanamthitta: In a wildlife management effort to ensure the safety of Sabarimala pilgrims, the forest department has so far captured 65 snakes from the Sannidhanam-Pampa belt and released them deep inside the forest, since the start of the pilgrimage season. It has introduced extensive safety and support measures for pilgrims trekking via the traditional forest routes. To address emergency situations along the trail, four emergency medical centres and one hospital-level facility have been set up.

29 Nov 2025 7:57 am