Enclosed herewith is the picture of the highly illuminated front side of Sabarimala hill shrine with eighteen holy steps in peak pilgrim season.

Last week, the Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced the decision of the Kerala State Government to open the Sabarimala Hill Shrines on all days throughout the year. At present, the Sabarimala Hill Shrine is open for pilgrimage only for a period of 61 days from November 14 every year and for 6 days from the first day of each Malayalam month. This custom is followed for centuries mainly to allow the breeding pattern of Tigers which roam in that Tiger Reserve. But, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s announcement that the Sabarimala Temple be kept open throughout the year if implemented could destroy the habitat and disrupt breeding patterns of Lord Ayyappan’s beloved vehicle : the Bengal Tiger. Forest officials at Periyar Tiger Reserve, who have been monitoring the breeding patterns of the species are of opinion that pregnant Tigresses cross over to the western side of the Reserve, measuring around 325 Sq. Kilometers of Periyar Tiger Reserve, where the Sabarimala Sastha (Ayyappa) Temple is also situated. Here, Tigresses come to breed during non - peak pilgrimage season and mother their cubs safely. The eastern region of the Reserve has a steep hilly terrain and the Tigresses prefer western side of the forest so that their cubs can grow up a bit before moving into the hard terrain. Any disturbances to this breeding pattern will have a long term impact on the Tiger population. It is estimated that the 925 Sq. Kilometer Periyar Tiger Reserve is home to around 35 to 45 Tigers and is one of the best protected Reserves in India. But increasing human interferences on the western side of the Reserve especially during the pilgrimage season has disrupted the Wild Life Corridor and contaminated Pamba River. The Government seems hell bent on destroying the very concept called Vanadevatha (Forest God) which is what Lord Ayyappa is all about. The Lord can exist only if the forest remains intact. The Ayyappan myth is all about seeing God in nature, a concept that has a deep ecological significance today. THE NEED OF THE HOUR IS TO CONTROL AND RESTRICT PILGRIMS. The Ayyappan concept hinges on penance and abstinence from all vices for a period of 41 days. When we destroy forests and construct concrete buildings in the name of providing more housing facilities for pilgrims, we are going against the very concept of Forest Shrine. The 41 day penance is done by each pilgrim before stepping into the 18 steps of Sabarimala Temple is done as a self–purification process and if such a temple is open throughout the year, the whole concept will go for a loss. The God at Sabarimala is in a state of penance. One should understand that the age–old custom has a deeper meaning intrinsically connected to the space and time of our own culture. The path shown by Lord Ayyappa finding salvation through sacrifice and monastic means is not easy. If we dilute the path and treat the pilgrimage like a daily pleasure trip, then the whole spiritual exercise will become useless. The temple if thrown open all days would become a tourist place. Daily pilgrimage at Sabarimala can be a source of wide spread disturbance for the Wild Life of Periyar also. The Chief Minister must decide whether he wished to preserve the sanctity of Periyar Tiger Reserve or not. Preserving the Forest in its pristine form apart from its ecological value is a spiritual need for the state. I am sure that people around the world realize that keeping the sanctity of this forest is essential for all religious beliefs as these beliefs originated mainly because of the forest. The forest therefore cannot be compromised. There is no doubt that Wild Life will be affected if there is human traffic throughout the year inside this Periyar Tiger Reserve. Therefore it is the duty of every human being to nip the Chief Ministers proposal in the bud.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/jumbos-forced-off-their-tracks/article9148641.ece