General Instructions

Dos:
  • Take rest for 5 minutes after a walk of 10 minutes during the climb.
  • Use the traditional path – Marakoottam, Saramkuthy, Nadapanthal – to reach Sannidhanam.
  • Follow the queue system to reach Pathinettampadi.
  • Use the Nadapanthal fly-over for return journey.
  • Use toilets and latrines for urination and bowel clearance.
  • Ascertain the prevailing crowd situation and then only proceed to Sannidhanam from Pampa.
  • While using Dolly, make payment only at the Devaswom counter and keep the receipt.
  • Subject yourself for security check at security check points.
  • Approach police for any help.
  • Inform police about any suspicious characters.
  • Buy edible items from licensed outlets only.
  • Keep Pampa, Sannidhanam and the trekking paths clean.
  • Park vehicles only at the allotted parking slots.
  • Deposit waste in waste boxes only.
  • Avail the facilities of medical centers and oxygen parlours, if needed.
  • Identification cards with address and contact numbers to be hung on the neck of children, aged and malikapurams (girls).
  • In case of isolation from groups / friends devotees may report at police aid posts.
Do not:
  • Do not use mobile phones at the temple premises.
  • Do not smoke at Pampa, Sannidhanam and en route.
  • Do not consume alcohol or drugs.
  • Do not jump the queue.
  • Do not rush while in the queue.
  • Do not carry weapons or other explosives substances.
  • Do not entertain unauthorized vendors.
  • Do not urinate outside toilets and clear bowels outside latrines.
  • Do not make extra payment for any service.
  • Do not hesitate to approach police for any help.
  • Do not throw waste anywhere other than the waste bins.
  • Do not break coconuts on the Pathinetampadi.
  • Do not break coconuts anywhere other than on designated places on both sides of Pathinettampadi.
  • Do not kneel at Pathinetampadi while climbing the holy steps.
  • Do not use any path other than Nadapanthal flyover for return journey.
  • Do not rest anywhere at Upper Thirumuttam or Thanthrinada.
  • Do not use pathways for viris (ground mats) at Nadapanthal and lower Thirumuttam.
Security
  • Fire crackers are prohibited
  • Weapons are not allowed.
  • Cooking Gas, Stoves etc. should not be used at Sannidhanam.
  • Fire if lighted should be put out immediately after use.
  • Subject yourself and your baggage for security check before climbing the Pathinettampadi.

 

 

Punyam Poonkaavanam for a Clean Sabarimala

The 'Punyam Poonkavanam' project is aimed at keeping the Sabarimala and surrounding areas clean. Punyam Poonkaavanam cleaning programme is conducted with the joint co-operation of pilgrims of Sabarimala and officers on duty like Devaswom, Police and other officials. For more than eight years, the Sannidhaan and premises are being cleaned daily from 9 am to 10 am.
The motto of 'Punyam Poonkavanam' is to participate Ayyappa devotees in the cleanliness programme of Sabarimala. Eminent personalities visiting Sabarimala for Darsan or Services also participate for the daily cleaning routine. Cleaning is done with sanitation equipments including gloves and socks. The main aim is to eliminate all kinds of waste from Sabarimala. I.G P. Vijayan has implemented this one-hour sanitation programme in 2011 with the aim of ensuring complete hygiene in Sannidhaan and its premises.

900 cleaning servicemen army for sanitation

Pathanamthitta District Administration has deployed over 900 cleaning service personnel at Pampa, Nilakkal and Sannidhanam in collaboration with Ayyappa Seva Sangh. All of them are from Tamil Nadu with a service attitude. 300 were deployed in sanitation activity at Sannidhaan, 205 at Pampa, 360 at Nilaikkal, 25 at Panthalam and 10 at Kulanada. A Mission under the name Mission Green Sabarimala is carrying out an awareness campaign for the purpose of preventing the use of plastic under the Sanitation Army and purification of the Pampa River. The service of the sanitation army members is available 24 hours a day.

 

 

Mission Green Sabarimala for a Plastic Waste Free Sabarimala

Mission Green Sabarimala, a Project in association with Sabarimala Pilgrimage has an objective of keeping Sabarimala and surrounding areas free of plastic. Suchitwa Mission is implementing various campaigns for the Mission Green Sabarimala, which is headed by the Pathanamthitta District Administration. In order to eradicate plastic from Sabarimala and to clean the Pampa river, various activities are being carried out under the Mission. The Mission Green Sabarimala project is being implemented in collaboration with the Devaswom Board, Forest Department, Kudumbasree Mission, Police and Information Public Relations Departments.

As part of the campaign to eradicate plastic from Sabarimala and surrounding areas, there is a distribution of more than half a lakh cloth bags containing awareness messages to the pilgrims instead of plastic carry bags. Distribution of cloth bags to pilgrims are being carried out through stalls at Nilakkal Base Camp and Chengannur Railway Station.

Green Guard activists have been deployed 24 hours a day on shift basis to prevent pilgrims from depositing their clothes into the Pampa River. The members under the Sabarimala Sanitation Society are functioning as Green Guards. NSS Volunteers of various colleges in the district are participating in the Mission Green Project.

Plastic wastes along the road from Laha to Pampa and Kanamala to Laha are being collected with the help of eco-guards and non-organic wastes from Nilakkal and Pampa is being collected under the leadership of the Suchitwa Mission. The wastes collected is decomposed by a private company in Thiruvalla. Six large plastic waste collection boxes have been installed in Nilakkal and Pampa. These boxes are placed to deposit plastic bottles and covers.

More than 100 steam bins have been set up at Pampa, Nilakkal and Pandalam for inorganic waste management. Messages in different languages informing not to throw clothes in the Pampa river as it is against the temple rituals and to protect Sabarimala and forest areas from plastic waste, and pocket cards marking special days of sabarimala are being supplied to pilgrims from different centres across the district.

For the pilgrims arriving at Chengannur via railway for the Sabarimala Pilgrimage, awareness information is being provided in three Languages-Kannada, Telugu and Tamil before any railway announcement.