''Thanka Anki'' reaches Sabarimala temple
Sabarimala, Dec 26 : Amid high security, the ceremonial procession carrying the sacred 'Thanka Anki' (golden attire), to be worn by Lord Ayyappa, the presiding deity of the Sabarimala temple,reached here Wednesday evening.
The procession, which had set off four days ago from the Sree Parthasarthy temple at Aranmula, reached the Lord Ayyappa temple by around 6.30 PM, temple sources said.
Lord Ayyappa would adorn the sacred attire tomorrow for the 'Mandala pooja'. After the 'Athazha pooja' in the evening, the shrine will be closed for two days, marking the culmination of the 41-day pilgrimage season, the first phase of the annual festivities.
The shrine will re-open on December 30 for the 'Makaravillaku' festival, which falls on Januaury 14.
Meanwhile, during this mandala puja season, 32 lakh pilgrims have so far trekked to the hill shrine, A Padmakumar, president, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the temple, said.
During this pilgrim season, there has been a dip in the revenues compared to the previous years, he said.
Last year, revenue collection at the temple touched Rs 160 crore, while this year it was rs 105 crore so far.
By the time the Makaravillakku is over, the earnings are expected to touch that of last year, he said.
The temple had witnessed heavy rush in the past few days after a lull in footfalls, following the restrictions imposed due to protests by devotees.
The Ayyappa temple had witnessed frenzied protests by devotees against the state government's decision to implement the Supreme Court's September 28 verdict, opening its doors to women of all ages to offer prayers.
Traditionally, girls and women in the menstruating age group of 10-50 years were barred from offering prayers at the shrine, the presiding deity of which is "Naishtika Brahamachari" (perennial celebate).
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Mamata visits Bhabanipur EVM strong room, warns against counting irregularities
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee early Friday warned against any attempt to tamper with the counting process, hours after she visited an EVM strong room in Bhabanipur, alleging possible malpractice.
Banerjee, who emerged around 12:07 am after spending nearly four hours at the counting centre for her Bhabanipur constituency housed in Sakhawat Memorial School in south Kolkata, said only one person would be allowed inside the designated counting area.
"Either the candidate or one agent can stay upstairs. I have also suggested installation of a CCTV camera for the media," she told reporters.
Stressing the need for transparency, she said, "It is essential to maintain transparency. People’s votes must be protected. I rushed here after receiving complaints. The central forces initially did not allow me to enter."
Sounding a stern note ahead of the May 4 counting, she added, "If there is any plan to tamper with the counting process, it will not be tolerated."
On Thursday evening, Banerjee had reached the Bhabanipur Assembly segment counting centre, which houses the strong room for EVMs used in the April 29 polling, citing suspicion of tampering with the machines.
She entered the premises along with her election agent and remained inside for hours, even as Kolkata Mayor and TMC candidate from the Kolkata Port segment Firhad Hakim reached the spot but could not meet her.
"I reached here upon learning that the chief minister has arrived. But I couldn’t meet her since she was already inside the premises, exercising her right as a candidate to visit strong rooms. I wasn’t allowed there. I will not be able to confirm what exactly is transpiring inside," Hakim said.
The development coincided with protests by TMC candidates Kunal Ghosh and Shashi Panja outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra in north Kolkata, where they staged a sit-in alleging irregularities and possible tampering of EVMs stored in strong rooms, leading to face-offs between TMC and BJP supporters.
Earlier in a video message, Banerjee had urged party leaders, workers and polling agents to maintain a 24-hour vigil on EVM strong rooms, alleging that the BJP could attempt to tamper with the machines before counting begins.
Her remarks come amid heightened political tension in the state following a fiercely contested Assembly election, with parties closely monitoring arrangements and raising concerns over transparency.
