Thiruvananthapuram: Amid a debate over the truth of 'Makarajyoti', held as a divine light by millions of Ayyappa devotees, Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan on Thursday said the Government was not going to probe whether it
was a divine phenomenon or man-lit exercise as essentially the whole issue was a matter of faith for millions.
"The Government is neither going to consult astrologers nor materialist scientists to ascertain the veracity of Makarajothi, which millions believe as divine and throng the temple with intense wish to sight it", he said.
"Makarajyothi' is a light that flickers across the skies above the Ponnambalamedu east of the Sabarimala shrine on during the Makarasamkrama pooja of the hillshrine.
Traditionally, it is held in high reverence by believers as a divine phenomenon but rationalists have for long dubbed it as a man-lit fire arranged with by the temple authorities and the government agencies to bluff the devotees.
The debate over the matter has re-surfaced in the wake of the stampede at Pullumedu last week in which 102 devotees returning after 'makarasjoyti' darshan were killed.
Interestingly, a member of the family of high priests of Sabarimala, Rahul Eswar, appeared on the scene saying that it fire appearing above is man-lit while what the actual 'makarajyhti' is a bright star that ascends on the skies
on the occasion of makarasamkramam.
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