Overview

• TDB president P. S. Prasanth said the conclave seeks to position Sabarimala as a global pilgrimage hub and to air views on development plans including an airport, railway links and the Master Plan.
• About 3,000 invited participants from India and abroad are expected at Pampa, with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to inaugurate and other state leaders invited, and registration routed through the Sabarimala virtual queue portal.
• The NSS backed the event in principle on the condition that rituals and sanctity are protected and that an apolitical organising committee of genuine Ayyappa devotees is formed.
• The SNDP Yogam welcomed the meet for its potential socio-economic benefits while stressing protection of customs, and dismissed claims that organisers seek to monetise devotees' faith.
• The Kerala BJP demanded the TDB publicly retract its 2019 Supreme Court stance on women’s entry and sought withdrawal of protest cases, as the TDB said it will try to inform the court about rituals after legal consultation without indicating a change in its earlier position.