In what can be an extremely pitiable condition, lakhs of pilgrims at Sabarimala are stranded. The pilgrims are standing in queues for 9 to 10 hours under the hot sun without food or water. As per reports, the time for the darshan of Lord Ayyappa is taking about 20 hours. Due to the auspicious Karthika masam, pilgrims thronged in large numbers for the darshan of the lord Kumaraswamy. However, the state government and authorities seem to have failed in making proper arrangements. With this pitiable condition, several pilgrims are forced to return home without the darshan of Lord Ayyappa.

There was a viripanthal in Pamba which used to accommodate over 15,000 pilgrims. However, this got washed away during the 2018 Kerala floods. The government failed to restore it. Currently, there are only two small resting places available.

At Nilackal, hundreds of pilgrims are crammed into buses without the operation of air conditioners. With no other option, pilgrims are facing these problems. Meanwhile, CM Pinarayi Vijayan responded to the reports of crowds and the poor arrangements. He sought to downplay the crisis. He also defended and said the situation is under control. He commented, "Nothing unusual has happened in Sabarimala. It is necessary to inform the people about the arrangements and facilities that have been put in place."

VIDEO | Sabarimala pilgrims blocked the Erumeli-Pamba road overnight demanding that their vehicles be allowed to go till Pamba. #Sabarimala pic.twitter.com/IpsOonzRRU
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 13, 2023