‘Don’t offer money at Sabarimala temple hundi’

No devotees should put money into the Hundi (donation box) of Sabarimala temple till the Supreme Court passes its judgement on allowing women of all ages into the hill shrine, Uttarakhanda Kapilashrama Seer Ramachandra Bharathi Swami said.

He was addressing the Ayyappa devotees convention, organised by DK Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam, at Town Hall on Sunday.

“The refusal to offer donation to the temple will not reduce the devotion towards the Lord Ayyappa. A large number of devotees should have ‘darshana’ of Ayyappa. Let us distribute prasadam of the Ayyappa deity among our friends and relatives. But no donation should be offered to the temple,” the seer appealed.

Over 9,000 devotees were imprisoned during the row over allowing women of all ages to Sabarimala temple, a year ago.

“We must teach Kerala government a befitting lesson. A large number of devotees from Karnataka visit Sabarimala. It is the devotees from outside Kerala who offer donation to Ayyappa temple. Thus no donation campaign has been initiated,” he said.

Erstwhile Pandala royal family descendant Sasikumar said, “Let Swamiye Ayyappa chant become a weapon to the devotees till we get justice in the Sabarimala issue. The decision of the Kerala government had hurt the self-respect of the devotees. Let us protect the sanctity of the Sabarimala Temple through our fight’’.

Prior to the programme, a ‘Shobhayatre’ was taken out from Sharavu Temple to Town Hall.