Pathanamthitta, September 23, 2013: The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has launched a mega flower garden project to produce flowers required for various rituals at Sabarimala.

The project, named Sabari Sharan Project (SSP), is an initiative of M/s Sabari Consultants and Magnum Opus Global Education Services, Bangalore, represented by Karthik Narayan.

Mr. Narayan told The Hindu that a 30-member team of workers from Bangalore had already set up flower gardens on the vacant land surrounding the Devaswom Guest House, Pampa Ganapati Temple, and on either side of the steps leading to the temple at Pampa. P. Venugopal, Devaswom Commissioner, inaugurated the garden at Pampa by planting a rose plant on Saturday. TDB Member Subhash Vasu and Mr. Venugopal said the main objective of the project was to keep Sabarimala clean and green, besides producing the entire lot of flowers required for daily rituals at the temple and associated shrines.

Growing flower plants on either side of the trekking path would add beauty and improve the ambience. The Bangalore firm was doing it as an offering to Lord Ayyappa, Mr. Venugopal said.

The firm had also been entrusted with the upkeep and maintenance of the garden, Mr. Vasu said.

Mr. Narayan said they had planted 18 varieties of flower plants at the gardens at Sabarimala and Pampa. The plants at Pampa included two varieties of Tulsi; four each of Koovalom and Arali; Chethi; Mulla; Chembarathy; Nandyarvattom; Pichi; Asoka; and two varieties of Mandarom.. He said planting of 50,000 saplings of four-foot tall Arali plants on either side of the Pampa-Sannidhanam trekking path would be completed by October 1. The project required no construction work. Instead, it added to the natural beauty of the sacred grove, besides preserving the pristine glory and serenity of the temple precincts.

Source: The Hindu, September 23, 2013