A padayatra for a noble cause!

CHENNAI: Almost all the pilgrims who go through the annual rituals of travelling to Sabarimala may have been stalled by the dam row this year. But for two city-based Ayyappa devotees, the plastic pile-up on Sabarimala is a more pressing issue. They have embarked on a 2,500-kilometre long padayatra, that covers five states and is scheduled to last 80 days, to draw attention to the issue.The duo — T R Ananthapadmanaban (49) and C H Sriram (21) — began their journey at Kasi in Uttar Pradesh on October 21 and are expected to reach the Sabarimala Sannidhanam on January 12.According to Ananthapadmanaban, the padayatra is meant to sensitise devotees on the ill-effects of the mounting pollution in Sabarimala, which happens particularly from the large volumes of plastic dumped in the hills. “Tonnes of plastic littered in Sabarimala by devotees have become a threat to wildlife, as the animals consume these wastes,” he said. Ananthapadmanaban said he was using pictures of the plastic waste piled up at Sabarimala to urge devotees to use biodegradable materials. This, he said,  would bring down the damage to the environment. “We are also distributing pamphlets, which have  information on the measures that need to be adopted by devotees in Sabarimala for controlling pollution,” he added.Sriram, who is also part of the mission, said they were meeting as many as 50 people everyday during their walk. The duo resumed their walk to Sabarimala from Chennai on Sunday, as part of the itinerary after completing their journey in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.Srinivasan of Eco Pilgrimage Trust claimed that about 3.5 crore people visited the hill shrine last year.