‘Nirmalam Sabarimala’: Multilingual Awareness Campaign Launched for Ayyappa Devotees
Thiruvananthapuram: The ‘Nirmalam Sabarimala’ campaign, an initiative of the Suchitwa Mission aimed at ensuring a clean and environmentally friendly Sabarimala pilgrimage season, has been launched by Minister K.M. Shaji.
The campaign was inaugurated at a function held at the Chamber of the Minister for Local Self-Government by switching on an awareness video. The minister also released multilingual awareness posters prepared for pilgrims.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister K.M. Shaji said the campaign aims to transform the sacred Ayyappa pilgrimage into a model of cleanliness and environmental conservation. Its primary objective is to create awareness among the millions of devotees visiting Sabarimala about maintaining cleanliness and protecting the environment.
As part of the initiative, the Suchitwa Mission has launched awareness campaigns in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu to reach pilgrims from Kerala and neighbouring states, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Multilingual awareness boards have also been installed along major pilgrimage routes. Special kiosks for distributing cloth bags and systems for the proper collection of waste from bins have been arranged.
The campaign promotes key messages such as avoiding littering along pilgrimage routes, at Pamba and Sannidhanam, reducing the use of single-use plastics, opting for reusable alternatives, segregating and disposing of waste properly, and protecting forest areas and wildlife.
Awareness videos will also be made available to pilgrims registering through the Virtual Queue system. The campaign will further use digital platforms, social media and other communication channels to spread cleanliness and environmental protection messages in multiple languages.
The campaign activities will be coordinated in collaboration with government agencies and concerned departments in Kerala and other states involved in Sabarimala pilgrimage arrangements.
Suchitwa Mission Executive Director K. Harikumar IAS, Director of Operations Jahangir S. and IEC Senior Consultant Ashraf Thooneri attended the launch ceremony.