Women officers played key role in Sabarimala pilgrimage coordination

While the entry of two middle-aged women to the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala three years ago had led to a law and order breakdown in the state, during this ongoing pilgrimage, two middle-aged women officers have been playing key role in ensuring a smooth pilgrimage amidst grim situations like Covid pandemic and rough weather alerts.

Divya S Iyer, a 2014 batch IAS officer, who is the collector of Pathanamthitta district where the temple is situated, and district police chief R Nishanthini, a 2008 batch IPS officer, have been playing key role in coordination of the pilgrimage that began in November and ends on January 20.

The two officers restricted their visit only up to Pampa, the starting point of the trekking path, up to where women are allowed as per beliefs and traditions.

Active involvement of the district collector in the pilgrimage coordination even received much attention with her Ayyappa keerthana recital at Pumba on occasions like the arrival of 'Thanka Anki' (golden ornaments) procession from Aaranmula temple to the hill shrine went viral on the social media.

Iyer told DH that it was an unique and challenging experience as she could coordinate the arrangements at Sabarimala Sannidhanam by not visiting there, that too at challenging situations like rough weather alerts and Covid pandemic. The wide CCTV coverage helped her monitor the arrangements at Sannidhanam by sitting at her office. An additional district magistrate, Arjun Pandiyan, was posted exclusively for Sabarimala as she could not visit the Sannidhanam premises.

"I am quite happy over the positive feedback that the devotional atmosphere at Sabarimala could be restored as the temple was witnessing unfortunate developments over the last few years," said Iyer who had visited the temple along with her father when she was a child.

Incidentally, Health Minister Veena George, who is the minister from Pathanamthitta district, is in her forties and that could be the reason why she also did not visit the temple to review the arrangements, said a temple official.

During the 2018-19 pilgrimage there was serious law and order breakdown not just at Sabarimala, but across the state, with widespread protest by Hindu outfits against the entry of women in the 10-50 age group subsequent to a Supreme Court order. But the SC order of 2018 lifting the restrictions on women between the age of 10 and 50 (considered as menstruating age) to the hill shrine was later sent for review by a larger bench by the Constitution bench of the apex court. Hence the state government decided not to implement the 2018 order allowing women of all ages to the temple until further orders from the SC.

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