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The Kerala government organised the Global Ayyappa Sangamam, a one-day summit of Ayyappa devotees on Saturday, 20 September. The event was held as part of the platinum jubilee celebrations of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on the banks of the Pampa River, in Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta district. The event was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Devaswom Minister VN Vasavan and nearly 3,500 Ayyappa devotees, including foreign delegates, attended the summit.
“Ayyappa devotees are present all over the world, and that's why this summit has a global nature. Sabarimala is a temple that shows no distinctions of caste, religion, or any other divisions. It is equally accessible to everyone. This temple celebrates spirituality beyond religion,” the CM said. Pinarayi added that through these discussions held at the summit, the Devaswom board aims to listen to devotees' suggestions and needs, as well as plan for the future development of Sabarimala.
According to VN Vasavan, a total of 4,126 participants registered for the event. However, as per media reports, nearly 3,500 devotees attended the event. Among them, 1,819 were from Kerala. 2,125 were from 13 other states including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Haryana, and Gujarat. Devotees also came from 182 countries including Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Canada, Dubai, Oman, and Singapore.
Meanwhile, Congress, the Opposition party in the state, boycotted the summit, accusing the government and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of exploiting Ayyappa sentiment for political gain.
Congress General Secretary and Rajya Sabha member KC Venugopal earlier said, “The same chief minister who once spearheaded the violation of Sabarimala traditions is now pretending to protect faith by leading the Ayyappa Congregation. The people of Kerala clearly see through the lack of sincerity and political motives behind this.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also boycotted the summit. However, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath sent his greetings to the summit. VN Vasavan read a letter from Yogi Adityanath in which he expressed his wishes for the success of the summit.