PATHANAMTHITTA: The police have raised concerns about the hydraulic roof construction at the ‘Pathinettam Padi’ (Sacred Eighteenth Step to Sannidhanam), which causes congestion and hinders the passage of devotees to the Sannidhanam.
They complain that the stone pillars erected for this roof are hindering pilgrims from passing through the sacred step. This complaint against the Devaswom Board’s decision gains significance in light of the Kerala government facing widespread criticism for its mismanagement of crowds at Sabarimala.
The Pathanamthitta District Police Chief stated that they had already informed the Devaswom Board about the discomfort faced by the Police due to this situation.
The police expressed their distress, which was followed by the Devaswom Board blaming the police for crowd management. The Devaswom Board alleged that the police were very slow in facilitating the passage of devotees through the ‘Pathinettam Padi’ (Sacred Eighteenth Step to Sannidhanam).
The Devaswom Board had planned to construct the hydraulic folding roof supported by carved stone pillars. Initially, they explained that this roof would address difficulties faced during ‘Padi Pooja,’ especially during heavy rains, and allowing devotees to pass through the Pathinettam Padi without hindrance.
‘Padi Pooja’ is the pooja of the ‘Pathinettam Padi’ (Sacred Eighteenth Step to Sannidhanam).
However, the construction of the hydraulic roof remains incomplete, causing more difficulties for the devotees. The police highlighted that these uncompleted pillars are causing congestion and inconvenience.
In an online review meeting held on December 13, convened by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan, the Devaswom Board President demanded the passage of 75-80 devotees per minute through the ‘Sacred Eighteenth Step to Sannidhanam’. However, ADGP Ajith Kumar disagreed with that assertion.
Following this, the police suggested removing the stone pillars because they hinder crowd management and create congestion for on-duty officers. The High Court previously initiated a suo moto case against the Board regarding the construction of stone pillars and the hydraulic roof, seeking explanations from the government and the Devaswom Board.
The hydraulic roofing is offered by a company based in Hyderabad.
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