Pathanamthitta: Devotees undertaking arduous journeys, covering vast distances, and enduring intense fasting, returned without getting darshan of Lord Ayyappa at Sannidhanam in Sabarimala. Despite hours of waiting, they couldn’t progress beyond Pampa, leading them to perform symbolic rituals like removing their Tulsimala, Neyyabhishekam (an offering to Lord Ayyappa), and coconut breaking at the temple in Pandalam before heading back. Hundreds of devotees experienced a similar fate yesterday alone.
Criticism is mounting against the government’s inability to manage the crowd effectively and ensure a seamless darshan experience for pilgrims. A video has surfaced showing devotees from Telangana protesting and raising slogans against the Chief Minister at Sannidhanam. The situation shows no signs of improvement, with today’s influx contributing to continued congestion.
Adding to the chaos, devotees, including women and children, are left stranded on the road for up to 10 hours due to delays in KSRTC buses. The halting of vehicles in such a manner denies these pilgrims access to essential resources like water and food. Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan attributes the sudden crisis at Sabarimala to the arrival of about one lakh devotees in a single day.
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