Kerala Minister Invites Tamil Nadu CM Stalin to Global Ayyappa Summit
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| Tamil Nadu CM Stalin Invited to Global Ayyappa Summit on September 20, Marking 75 Years of Travancore Devaswom Board |
Chennai: Kerala Devaswom Minister V. N. Vasavan on Thursday formally invited Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin to participate in the Global Ayyappa Summit, scheduled for September 20 as part of the platinum jubilee celebrations of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB).
The TDB, which manages temples across southern Kerala, including the revered Sabarimala shrine dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, is organising the summit as a landmark event to mark 75 years of service to devotees. Sabarimala, nestled in the Western Ghats of Pathanamthitta district, is renowned for its centuries-old traditions and draws lakhs of devotees annually during the two-month-long pilgrimage season.
Minister Vasavan, accompanied by senior officials, met Chief Minister Stalin at the Secretariat in Chennai to extend the formal invitation. Also present at the meeting were Tamil Nadu Devaswom Minister P. K. Sekar Babu, Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam, and senior Devaswom officials from Kerala.
Envisioned as the largest gathering of Ayyappa devotees in South India, the summit will bring together religious leaders, community representatives, and stakeholders to deliberate on pilgrim welfare, infrastructure, and the preservation of Sabarimala’s spiritual legacy.
The pilgrimage season at Sabarimala begins on the first day of the Malayalam month of Vrischikam (mid-November) and concludes in mid-January. The summit, however, will be held earlier on the banks of the sacred Pampa River, where pilgrims traditionally bathe before trekking to the shrine.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the event, while Stalin has been invited as the chief guest. “We will be inviting top leaders from all political parties, including Chief Ministers of various states, Union Ministers, and prominent religious leaders,” Minister Vasavan said in Chennai.
The initiative aims to strengthen inter-state cooperation on pilgrim safety, infrastructure development, and cultural exchange, while reinforcing Sabarimala’s role as a symbol of faith and unity across southern India.