No new Ayyappa Sangamam, Lord Ayyappa needs no publicity: TDB chief

Thiruvananthapuram, Jul 10 (PTI)cn Friday said there would be no new Ayyappa Sangamam and asserted that Lord Ayyappa does not need publicity, saying the deity was among the most well-known in the world. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) chief's remarks assume significance as the previous Board's decision to organise the Global Ayyappa Sangamam with the support of the then LDF government had triggered a political controversy in Kerala. "There will be no new Ayyappa Sangamam. Lord Ayyappa does not need publicity," Jayakumar told reporters here after a special board meeting convened to review preparations for the upcoming Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season. On the financial dispute over the Global Ayyappa Sangamam, Jayakumar said the board's auditor had not accepted the claim of Uralungal Labour Contract Cooperative Society that around Rs 6 crore was still due for the event. He said the board had already disbursed the funds it had received to the society and the remaining issues would be dealt with separately. The TDB also announced a series of reforms aimed at making the annual pilgrimage more transparent and efficient. Jayakumar said the pilgrimage management would be fully digitised from this season. Of the 690 rooms at Sannidhanam, 550 would now be made available through online booking, compared to 190 earlier. He said housekeeping services would be outsourced, a new guest house with 60 additional rooms would be constructed near Sabari Guest House after obtaining the required approvals. AI-based crowd management systems would be introduced at Sannidhanam (temple complex) to regulate pilgrim movement, while sanitation works would be undertaken through Clean Kerala Company. Jayakumar further said individual sponsorships for "annadanam" (free food) would not be accepted, though institutional sponsorships would be considered. Families of pilgrims who died during the previous pilgrimage season would receive insurance assistance of Rs 1 lakh each from the welfare fund collected through virtual queue bookings, he added. PTI LGK KH