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Unprecedented rush at Sabarimala temple

Radhakrishnan Kuttoor

Pilgrim trampled to death near the holy 18 steps

SABARIMALA: An unidentified pilgrim in his thirties was trampled to death and several others were injured in a minor stampede that occurred before the holy 18 steps at the lower Thirumuttom of the Sabarimala Sannidhanam around 1.30 p.m. on Saturday.

The body has been taken to the Pathanamthitta General Hospital mortuary by Ayyappa Seva Sanghom volunteers.

The holy hillock and the base camp of Pampa have been witnessing an unprecedented crowd of devotees since Saturday morning, affecting the crowd-control arrangements being made by the police at certain key points at the Sannidhanam. The police blocked pilgrims at various points on the Pampa-Sannidhanam path and on the Pandithavalom route.

In another incident, two pilgrims, identified as Shanmugham (34) from Tiruchirappalli and Balamurugan (22) from Coimbatore, were stabbed by a mentally ill person, Maniswamy, from Kolar district in Karnataka, on Saturday.

Two Seva Bharati volunteers engaged in crowd management at the Sannidhanam were allegedly assaulted by the police in the forenoon. About 60 Seva Bharati volunteers who have been doing service to pilgrims at the Sannidhanam made a mass chanting of Ayyappa mantras, protesting against the incident.

Acute shortage of drinking water and regulated sale of aravana payasam by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) created hardship to the pilgrims on Saturday.

The TDB regulated the sale of aravana to two cans a person from Saturday, leading to large-scale black marketing of the prasadam. One bottle of mineral water worth Rs.10 cost Rs.50 and a 250-ml can of aravana Rs.250 at the Sannidhanam on Saturday. The price fixed by the TDB for a 250-ml can of aravana is only Rs.50. It is alleged that the scarcity was stage-managed by vested interests.

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