Hundreds of devotees thronged Sabarimala for darshan on Saturday, the first day of the Malayalam month of Dhanu.
Pilgrims had to wait for hours inside barricades on the trekking path and at the Valiya Nadappanthal to ascend the 18 steps leading to the Ayyappa temple. TDB workers and Ayyappa Seva Sanghom volunteers served the pilgrims medicated drinking water and biscuits.
The pilgrim flow to Sabarimala through the Pulmedu route has considerably increased in the last lap of the 41-day Mandalam pilgrim season, sources said. The KSRTC has been operating special services to Vandiperiyar-Sathram from Kumily.
These pilgrims reach the Sannidhanam, treading the 12-km forest path cutting across the Pulmedu-Paandithavalam forest tracts.
The Forest Department has restricted pilgrim movement at night through the forest, which has wild animals. Pilgrims are allowed on the Sathram-Pulmedu-Sannidhanam path only during daytime. Elephant squads and additional forest guards have been deployed on this forest path to protect the pilgrims from wild animals.
