Sabarimala temple: HR&CE dept sends 10 lakh biscuit packets for Ayyappa devotees

CHENNAI: Minister for the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments P K Sekarbabu on Friday said the department has sent 10 lakh biscuit packets, worth Rs 40 lakh, to distribute them to the devotees waiting in long queues for hours to offer their prayers to Lord Ayyappa of Sabarimala temple.

"We did this with brotherhood to assist the Kerala government in facilitating the Ayyappa devotees, who are standing in queues for long hours, to offer prayer at Sabarimala. We are happy to fulfill the request of the Sabarimala Devasthanam to send the biscuit packets for the devotees. It also helps the devotees from Tamil Nadu, who go in large numbers to Ayyappa temple, " the minister said after flagging off the four container lorries loaded with the biscuit packets.

The department had earlier sent 6 lakh biscuits. The department resorted to such measures following direction from Chief Minister M K Stalin, the minister said.

As per the prevailing situation and circumstances in the Sabarimala hill shrine, as many as 3,500 devotees can offer prayer per hour.

The shrine is open for 18 hours a day to the devotees. Nearly 70,000 devotees come in a day, said the minister and appreciated the joint efforts of Sabrimala Devasthanam board and the police department to manage the huge influx of the devotees.

Apart from this, around 50% of the devotees stay in the hill shrine at night for Nei Abishegam.

This takes the number of devotees in the shrine more than a lakh and creates problems of overcrowding, he said and added that the authorities in the neighbouring state have been taking continuous efforts to sort out the problems and help devotees to offer their prayers without any difficulties.

On the ongoing works of Kuthambakkam bus terminus, the minister said that they have set a target to open the bus terminus for the public use by the end of this year. They have expedited the work.