Sabarimala pilgrims allowed to carry coconuts in cabin baggage in flights
New Delhi, Oct 26: Pilgrims going to Sabarimala temple in Kerala will be allowed to carry coconuts in the cabin baggage of flights till January 20, 2025, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said on Saturday.
The two-month-long Sabarimala pilgrimage season will start in mid-November.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has given permission to pilgrims to carry coconuts in their cabin baggage for a limited period.
Under existing norms, coconuts are not permitted in the cabin baggage on the grounds that they are flammable.
Naidu on Saturday said that to facilitate the ease of travel for Sabarimala pilgrims, an exemption has been given for "carrying coconuts in 'Irumudi' as cabin baggage during the Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage period".
The order will be in effect until January 20, 2025, with all necessary security checks in place, he said in a post on X..
Coconuts will be allowed to be carried in the cabin only after requisite X-Ray, ETD (Explosive Trace Detector) and physical checks.
The Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala will open for the two-month long pilgrimage season in mid-November and the pilgrimage season will go on till late January.
Lakhs of devotees visit the hill shrine every year and the majority of them carry 'Irumudi Kettu' (the sacred bag containing offerings, including coconut filled with ghee, to the Lord).
Generally, those undertaking the pilgrimage to Sabarimala prepare and pack 'Irumudi Kettu' as part of the 'Kettunirakal' ritual.
During the ritual, ghee is filled inside a coconut, which is then kept in the bag along with other offerings. The bag would also have few ordinary coconuts to be broken at various holy spots during the pilgrimage.
Only those pilgrims who carry the 'Irumudi Kettu' on their head are allowed to climb the 18 sacred steps to reach the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Those not carrying it have to take a different passage to reach the sanctum sanctorum.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
