Port Blair, Dec 02: Mr. Vishal Jolly, National Executive Member BJP, Former State President BJP A & N and Member of Home Ministry Advisory Committee, Govt. of India has requested the Chief Secretary, A & N Administration for providing Ship service from Port Blair to Chennai and back for Pilgrimages.
In his letter he wrote that since decades together, every year thousands of devotees of Lord Ayyappa and Om Shakti Pilgrimages proceed to visit Sabarimala, Kerala and Om Shakti, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, after observing fasting and other religious rituals. Like every year, this year also they are scheduled to proceed from Andaman and Nicobar Islands to join the Pilgrims at Sabarimala, Kerala and Chennai, Tamil Nadu respectively.
Further he mentioned that around 300 to 400 devotees usually prefer ships to visit these pilgrim places from our Islands and therefore the Ship namely M. V. Nalanda or M. V. Sindhu which has lesser passenger capacity of around 500 would be sufficient for them to travel to Chennai. If an arrangement is made to provide a ship service from Port Blair to Chennai on 04th January 2023 and for the return journey ship may be provided in the mid of January 2023.
Further he also mentioned that the arrangement of vessel to Chennai and return to Port Blair will immensely benefit the middle and lower middle-class devotees to perform Pilgrimage at low-cost fare as the rate of flights are soaring high and requested the Chief Secretary that a voyage schedule of MV Nalanda or MV Sindhu in the larger interest of Sabarimala devotees.
