<p>The assertion by the Board came amid a renewed debate on the genuineness of 'Makara Jyothi' after the stampede on January 14 night this year at Pulmedu near the shrine in which 102 pilgrims were killed when thousands of devouts were returning home shortly after witnessing the spectacle<br /><br />"Makara Jyoti is a star and a natural pheonomenon appearing on the horizon during 'Deeparadhana' on Makara Sankramam day and has nothing to do with 'deepam' seen at Ponnambalamedu. It is not a human creation," R Anitha, Secretary of TDB, which manages the shrine, submitted in two counter affidavits in Court.<br /><br />Anitha denied the allegation that 'Makara Jyothi' was an artifical creation of board officials aided by police and forest officials. Rationalists have for long alleged it is a man-lit fire arranged by the temple authorities and government agencies.<br /><br />Soon after the Pulmedu tragedy, TDB in response to counter affidavits on some petitions had said Makara Jyothi is the star seen during 'Deeparadhana' and was not due to any human intervention.<br /><br />The Makara Jyothi, a beacon that fleetingly appears at dusk on January 14, marks the climax of the two-month 'Makaravilakku' season from mid-November at Sabarimala where lakhs of pilgrims come for pilgrimage. The light flickers across the skies above Ponnambalamedu, east of Sabarimala shrine during the 'Makarasamkramam,' a pooja ritual.<br /><br />"Neither TDB or any of its officials have at any time conducted propaganda that the light seen at Ponnambalamedu on Makarasankranthi day is a divine creation. But the fact is that the light is seen there on 'Makara Sankranthi', an auspicious day of great religious significance at Sabarimala and Ponnambalamedu," Anitha submitted.<br /><br />Kerala Yuktivadi Sangham (Rationalists Association) had sought a direction to the government to publish the T Chandrasekhara Menon commision of Inquiry report into the stampede on Jan 14, 1999, take steps to prevent such tragedies and to direct the government to refrain from constituting any Commission of Inquiry to probe into the Pulmedu stampede.<br /><br />Another petitioner Sreeni Pattathanam had sought a declaration that participation of government through departments like Police, Forest, Revenue, Electricity in a 'superstitious' religious event like 'Makara Jyothi' is unconstitutional and violative of Art 27 of the Constitution.<br /><br />The petitioners had alleged that tribals, who worshipped at a temple there which subsequently fell into disuse, have been lighting the lamp there for a long time and that the Kerala State Electricity Board workers have been doing so since 1981.<br /><br />The Kerala High Court during hearings had also asked the Board if 'Makara Jyoti' is man made. The court's poser came even as Kerala's LDF government ruled out any probe to ascertain the genuineness of the phenomenon.</p>
<p>The assertion by the Board came amid a renewed debate on the genuineness of 'Makara Jyothi' after the stampede on January 14 night this year at Pulmedu near the shrine in which 102 pilgrims were killed when thousands of devouts were returning home shortly after witnessing the spectacle<br /><br />"Makara Jyoti is a star and a natural pheonomenon appearing on the horizon during 'Deeparadhana' on Makara Sankramam day and has nothing to do with 'deepam' seen at Ponnambalamedu. It is not a human creation," R Anitha, Secretary of TDB, which manages the shrine, submitted in two counter affidavits in Court.<br /><br />Anitha denied the allegation that 'Makara Jyothi' was an artifical creation of board officials aided by police and forest officials. Rationalists have for long alleged it is a man-lit fire arranged by the temple authorities and government agencies.<br /><br />Soon after the Pulmedu tragedy, TDB in response to counter affidavits on some petitions had said Makara Jyothi is the star seen during 'Deeparadhana' and was not due to any human intervention.<br /><br />The Makara Jyothi, a beacon that fleetingly appears at dusk on January 14, marks the climax of the two-month 'Makaravilakku' season from mid-November at Sabarimala where lakhs of pilgrims come for pilgrimage. The light flickers across the skies above Ponnambalamedu, east of Sabarimala shrine during the 'Makarasamkramam,' a pooja ritual.<br /><br />"Neither TDB or any of its officials have at any time conducted propaganda that the light seen at Ponnambalamedu on Makarasankranthi day is a divine creation. But the fact is that the light is seen there on 'Makara Sankranthi', an auspicious day of great religious significance at Sabarimala and Ponnambalamedu," Anitha submitted.<br /><br />Kerala Yuktivadi Sangham (Rationalists Association) had sought a direction to the government to publish the T Chandrasekhara Menon commision of Inquiry report into the stampede on Jan 14, 1999, take steps to prevent such tragedies and to direct the government to refrain from constituting any Commission of Inquiry to probe into the Pulmedu stampede.<br /><br />Another petitioner Sreeni Pattathanam had sought a declaration that participation of government through departments like Police, Forest, Revenue, Electricity in a 'superstitious' religious event like 'Makara Jyothi' is unconstitutional and violative of Art 27 of the Constitution.<br /><br />The petitioners had alleged that tribals, who worshipped at a temple there which subsequently fell into disuse, have been lighting the lamp there for a long time and that the Kerala State Electricity Board workers have been doing so since 1981.<br /><br />The Kerala High Court during hearings had also asked the Board if 'Makara Jyoti' is man made. The court's poser came even as Kerala's LDF government ruled out any probe to ascertain the genuineness of the phenomenon.</p>