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Makara Jyothi is the celestial starSirius that can be seen above the secret fire lit event ofMakaravilakku conducted byTravancore Devasom Board atponnambalamedu nearSabarimala Temple inKerala onMakara Sankranti every year with the help ofForest department,KSEB andKerala police and other agencies ofGovernment of Kerala. When the fire is lit for 3 times by theTravancore Devaswom Board Team, the Sirus can be seen directly above it when viewed fromSabarimala.[1][2]
Raman Nair, who headed the Devaswom Board under the Congress government said “It’s the police and officials of the Travancore Devaswom Board who would jointly light the fire at Ponnambalamedu on the orders of the state government.”[3]
Makara (Sanskrit:मकर) is the name of azodiac sign in Indian languages known asCapricorn in English.Jyoti means "light" in Sanskrit.
The huge crowd of pilgrims that witnesses the event has increased every year.[4] It is believed that 1.5 million devotees witnessedMakara Jyoti in 2010.[5][failed verification] The revenue collection during the Makaravilakku period was also higher compared to previous years. The total donations wereRs.720 million in 2008 against previous year’s Rs.723 million.[6]
In 1999 and 2011, two major human stampedes occurred on 14 January at Sabarimala, killing 53 and 106 people, respectively.[7][8][9] In 1999 the Justice T Chandrasekhara Menon committee that investigated the stampede refrained from going into the details of authenticity of Makara Jyothi. It stated that Makara Jyothi is a matter of belief and could not be investigated. Justice Chanadrasekhara Menon had probed the veracity of Makara Jyoti during that time. He also appointed an advocate of the commission to witness it.[7]
The 2011 stampede occurred during an annual pilgrimage, killing 102 pilgrims and injuring more than 100.[contradictory] Amid a renewed debate after this stampede, Kerala High Court wanted to know whether or not Makara Jyoti is a man-made phenomenon, asking about the authenticity of the hallowed celestial light visible from Sabarimala. "A distinction has to be made between the Makaravilakku and Makara Jyothi. The Jyothi is a celestial star. Makarvilakku is lit [by people]," said the head of the Thazamon Thanthri family, Kantararu Maheswararu.[10] After this the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) said that it was known to most believers that it was a man lit-fire, but there was a Hindu belief behind it. "It is known to everybody that Makara Vilakku is a fire lit up by men at Ponnabalamedu and TDB also recognises this. But Makara Jyothi is a celestial star", TDB President M Rajagoplan Nair told reporters on 31 January 2011.[8]
