Latest news with #Devaswom
The Hindu
12-05-2025
- The Hindu
19,501 pilgrims visit Mangaladevi temple for Chitrapournami
Thousands of pilgrims thronged the Mangaladevi temple, a 15-km stretch inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) bordering Tamil Nadu, on the occasion of Chitrapournami on Monday. The temple is opened only once a year for pilgrims. According to officials, the temple opened around 5 a.m. Pujas were held in Tamil and Malayalam by priests representing both States. Thanthri Suryakaladi Mana Jayasuryan Namboothirippad and Valliyankavu temple Melsanthi Biju Kumar Namboothiri led the pujas on the Kerala side. The Kerala side hosted Prasanna puja and Ucha puja at the Sreekovil. The district administrations of Idukki and Theni (Tamil Nadu), along with other religious organisations, have made elaborate arrangements for this year's pilgrimage. Travancore Devaswam Board president P.S. Prasanth said that the Revenue and Devaswom departments made elaborate preparations for pilgrims this year, leading to an increase in arrival of pilgrims. According to Forest department data, 19,501 pilgrims trekked to the hill shrine on Monday as against 15,534 last year. Idukki District Collector V. Vigneshwari, Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Shyju P. Jacob, and District Police Chief T.K. Vishnu Pradeep monitored the arrangements. Devotees plaints However, devotees complained about inadequate travel arrangements and long waiting hours for travelling to the Mangaladevi temple. Some complained that the vehicles were transporting people from resorts to the temple instead of taking in people waiting at the Kumily bus stand. Surendran, a resident in Attappallam, near Kumily, in Idukki, said that he and his 90-year-old mother had to wait for more than seven hours for the vehicle. 'My mother was in the queue from 4 a.m. early Monday morning, but could manage to board the vehicle only at 11.30 a.m. The authorities failed to provide adequate vehicle facilities,' said Mr. Surendran. 'Earlier, the authorities allowed only entry of off-road jeeps. But this year, bigger vehicles were allowed to access the route, which resulted in an hours-long traffic block on the stretch,' said Mr. Surendran. Arun Kumar, a resident of Thodupuzha, said that he was at the Kumily bus stand since 4 a.m., but was able to board the bus only after noon. 'Authorities had issued over 350 vehicle passes for the off-road jeeps. However, we suspect the jeeps were transporting tourists from resorts to the hill shrine since morning, while we were left in the lurch at the bus stand,' said Mr. Kumar.
The Hindu
03-05-2025
- The Hindu
All arrangements in place for Pooram, says Minister Vasavan
As the countdown to the Thrissur Pooram begins, Minister for Devaswom V.N. Vasavan announced that all preparations have been completed by the government, district administration, Thrissur Corporation, and Devaswoms to ensure a smooth conduct of the festival. The Minister was addressing the media following a review meeting held at Ramanilayam, attended by Revenue Minister K. Rajan, Higher Education and Social Justice Minister R. Bindu, Union Minister of State for Petroleum, Natural Gas and Tourism Suresh Gopi, Mayor M.K. Varghese, district panchayat president V.S. Prince, District Collector Arjun Pandiyan, City Police Commissioner R. Ilango, ADM Murali T., and Sub-Collector Akhil V. Menon. A force of around 4,000 police personnel, including women officers, will be deployed for maintaining law and order. The Excise and Police departments are conducting joint operations to prevent the sale and use of narcotics during the festival days. NH underpass works The KSRTC has been directed to arrange additional transportation, and discussions are under way with private bus operators. The Railways have been requested to ensure scheduled stops for all trains passing through Thrissur on May 6. Work on the Angamaly-Thrissur NH underpass will be paused on the Pooram day, following talks with the NHAI, the Minister said. Safety checks have been completed on all Corporation buildings, and dangerous overhanging tree branches have been removed. In collaboration with the Suchitwa Mission, post-Pooram sanitation plans are in place. City roads under the Corporation have been repaired, and arrangements made to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply. The Food Safety department and Legal Metrology have jointly formed squads to conduct field inspections. A dedicated elephant care team, along with veterinary doctors, is ready to manage the health and safety of elephants participating in the festivities. The Minister also emphasised that no communal, political, or provocative symbols, slogans, or flags should be used as part of the festival. Fire and Rescue Services personnel, including female officers, will be deployed. The DMO-led medical team, with ambulances, is also fully prepared. Only ambulances marked with an official DMO sticker will be allowed entry into the Pooram grounds. Crowd control Minister K. Rajan added that all safety measures will be enforced for the fireworks display. Crowd control for the fireworks will be implemented only after the main Pooram events conclude at night. Considering the ongoing heatwave, shaded structures and emergency medical setups, including ambulances, will be made available. To enhance the experience for tourists, viewing galleries have been arranged this year as well. On May 6, visitors who register by 12 noon at the DTPC office with valid ID (such as passport) will be given special access to view the Kudamattam ceremony.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Tanthri tells Kerala high court that his views were not sought while filling ‘kazhakam' post at Koodalmanikyam temple
Kochi: The tanthri of the Koodalmanikyam temple has informed high court that his views were not sought, as required under the Koodalmanikyam Devaswom Act, before appointing a person for the 'kazhakam' duty. The submission was made in response to a petition by T V Harikrishnan of Thekke Varriam, who claimed hereditary and spiritual rights over the post. The tanthri also cited Section 19(3) of the Act, which prohibits the selection of ritual staff by any subcommittee, excluding the tanthri. Earlier, B A Balu, an Ezhava person from the Kerala Devaswom Recruitment Board (KDRB) rank list, was appointed to the post but resigned following controversy. Devaswom authorities then decided to appoint the next candidate, K S Anurag, who filed an application to be impleaded in the matter. However, the petitioner opposed it, arguing that a mere position in the rank list does not confer any right to appointment. The court adjourned the matter to May 6 for a detailed hearing and extended its earlier order halting the appointment. Meanwhile, Koodalmanikyam Devaswom administrator Ushanandini Sabu filed a counter affidavit stating that Thekke Varriam never held exclusive rights over the kazhakam duty. Until 1984, three families — Kizhakke Pisharam, Arakkal Pisharam and Thekke Varriam — shared the kazhakam duty, with Thekke Varriam performing it only during the Malayalam months of 'Makaram' and 'Edavam'. When members of the other two families were unavailable, the devaswom took over their 10-month duty period and appointed staff temporarily. One V P Ramachandran was appointed initially, followed by Rajeev Varrier and later Renjith Varrier. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Car Cleaner Works So Fast, It Feels Like Cheating Make Your Car Look Like New Undo The affidavit noted that no member of Thekke Varriam had objected to these appointments. The administrator further asserted that any regular appointment for those months would not affect Thekke Varriam's rights over kazhakam duty during 'Makaram' and 'Edavam'.
The Hindu
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Land Assignment (Amendment) Act rules will be fixed soon: Pinarayi
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said the government will fix the rules of the Land Assignment (Amendment) Act before May. Addressing a district-level meeting at Government Vocational Higher Secondary School at Nedumkandam in Idukki on Monday to mark the fourth anniversary of his government, Mr. Vijayan said that with the support of the new Land Assignment (Amendment) Act, the violation of title deed rules can be rectified. ' The government aims to find a proper solution regarding the land issues in Idukki. The rule formation of the Land Assignment (Amendment) Act is in a final phase. The violations occurred in the 1964 rule title deeds and the 1993 rule title deeds. Through the amendment, the violations can be legalised,' said Mr Vijayan. Mr Vijayan further said that the LDF government announced the Land Assignment (Amendment) Act to protect the interests of people in Idukki. 'Two key regulations are primarily needed in the Amendment Act: rules to regularise already converted land and rules for new land conversion and use. The converted lands will be regularised through imposing a fee by local bodies and no fine for such regularisation. False propaganda has been spread among the people that the government will only validate a limited portion of converted lands. The government is considering the possibility of imposing higher fees to validate large constructions that violate land title conditions, said Mr Vijayan. The Chief Minister further said there is false propaganda against the State that Kerala had fallen into a huge debt trap for the past nine years. ' The State's Own Tax Revenue (SOTR) in the 2016 period was 26%, and in 2025 it grew by 73%. The tax revenue grew from ₹47,000 crore to ₹81,000 crore over the past seven years. The internal revenue in the 2016 period was ₹55,000 crores and now it has grown to ₹104,000 crores,' said Mr Vijayan. Mr Vijayan said that to ensure the availability of construction equipment, the government will soon decide to grant permits for new quarries in the district. Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine presided over the meeting. Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan, attended the meeting along with Peermade MLA, Vazhoor Soman, Udumbanchola MLA, M.M. Mani, Devikulam MLA, A. Raja, District Collector V. Vigneshwari, among others, attended the meeting.
