| Sankara Pillai, Sree Bhootha Nadha Dharma Stapanam, Sabarimala, Pathanamthitta |
For 5½ decades he has been silently serving the devotees climbing up the hill to visit Sabarimala. Nonagenarian Sankara Pillai, is the foundation for the edifice of Sree Bhootha Nadha Dharma Stapanam, that provides ‘kanji’ to about 5000 pilgrims everyday in the holy land of Ayyappa.
The establishment was started in the 1950s by Raghavan Swami with 200 lemon and 2 buckets of water as ‘capital’. At that time Sankara Pillai was working as a ticket checking inspector of buses. On a visit to Sabarimala, he got acquainted with Swami.
Although he had the wherewithal to lead a comfortable life back home, Sankara Pillai got attracted to the food-serving programme. High Court Judge G.Chandrasekharan Nair too felt drawn to it. The organization was registered in 1958 when the Justice was serving as its president. It is an irony of fate that of the 12 persons who constituted the core group at that time, Sankara Pillai is the lone survivor now.
Porridge is mainly prepared from the rice brought by the devotees in the twin-pack they carry on their head. The Stapanam does not solicit contributions, but issues receipts to voluntary donors.
From the balance of such contributions, about Rs.5 lakhs has been deposited in bank accounts. The interest from this is used to buy grocery as well as pay wages to assistants. At present, he has a voluntary assistant in Chandrasekharan Nair, a retired teacher.
Whichever be the month, once the temple opens, Sankara Pillai will be at the holy abode. He lives at Pandalam with his wife Devaki and daughter Suseela. He usually brushes aside the concern for his health expressed by them.
Courtesy:
V.B.Unnithan, Mathrubhumi, December 15, 2006
Contributed by: Administrator
