PM Modi or Amit Shah Likely to Visit Sabarimala in the Coming Months; Will the Gorkha vehicle used by the President later become an ambulance?
Sabarimala ∙ The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) is considering converting the Gurkha vehicle—used by President Droupadi Murmu during her pilgrimage on the Sharanam route—into an official Sabarimala ambulance.
The vehicle had originally been purchased and donated by a seven-member team of doctors from Coimbatore Medical Services during the previous Mandala–Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, specifically for ambulance use.
The donors included Manikandan from Sabari Medical Services, Dr. Vinod Devarajan, Dr. Haribabu, Dr. Ganapathi, and Dr. Sharanvanan, among others. Just days after the vehicle was handed over, the temple authorities received official notice of the President’s visit. Following discussions with the police, it was decided that the vehicle would be used for the President’s travel to Sabarimala.
President Murmu visited the shrine on October 22. The vehicle is currently parked at the Devaswom Board headquarters. The sponsors have expressed their wish that it now be used purely as an ambulance in Sabarimala, and the Board is agreeable to this.
However, BJP sources indicate the possibility of either the Union Home Minister or the Prime Minister visiting Sabarimala in February. With that possibility, some within the Devaswom Board suggest deploying the vehicle as an ambulance only after these potential visits.
Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court has directed the Board to avoid carrying bodies manually from Sannidhanam and instead use proper vehicles. In this context, the Board is considering designating one vehicle exclusively for patient transport and another for transporting the deceased.