Kerala HC bans sale of plastic water bottles at Sabarimala

The Kerala HC has banned sale of any material, including water, in plastic bottles at any place connected to Sabarimala.

In a move to make Sabarimala more environment-friendly, the Kerala high court has banned sale of any material, including water, in plastic bottles at any place connected to the famous hill shrine of Lord Ayyappa.

Devotees on a pilgrimage to the Sabarimala temple in Kumily, near Trivandrum. (Getty Images)

“... There can be no sale of any material including water in pet bottles or other types of plastic bottles in any place connected with Sabarimala, including Sabarimala sannidhanam, Pampa, Nilakkal etc...,” the court said in its order.

A bench comprising justices Thottathil B Radhakrishnan and Anu Sivaraman passed the order on Tuesday while looking into matters connected with the hill shrine.

During the last pilgrim season in December, the court had directed the Travancore Devaswom Board and all other temple boards in the state to ensure that “irumudikkettu” (sacred bundle) carried by the Sabarimala pilgrims does not contain plastic packing materials.

The court has said use of bio-degradable products shall be encouraged to carry holy things in the “irumudikkettu”. Thousands of devotees from various states, especially southern states, throng the temple during the two-month long annual pilgrimage season at the temple which starts in mid-November.