TN SUGGESTION TO HAVE ITS MEMBER IN TRAVANCORE DEVASWOM BOARD

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu government on Monday suggested that a member proposed by it have representation in Travancore Devaswom Board, which administers the Lord Ayyappa temple in Kerala, as 40 per cent of devotees are from the state. State Fisheries minister D Jayakumar said that devotees of Lord Ayyappa from Tamil Nadu “scrupulously” follow the restrictions imposed in Sabarimala by the Kerala government to protect and preserve the environment. “I state that 40 per cent of devotees (to Sabarimala) are from Tamil Nadu. To (ensure) effective cooperation and for smooth facilitation, a member representing the state, proposed by the Tamil Nadu Government may be appointed in the Travancore Devaswom Board,” he said. Jayakumar was speaking at a conference of southern states on the preparation for the 2017 Sabarimala season. The Travancore Devaswom Board administers the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple in Kerala.