Devotee inflow via forest routes to Sabarimala sees sharp rise: TDB

Pathanamthitta (Kerala), Dec 14 (PTI) The number of devotees reaching the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala via traditional forest routes has significantly increased during the ongoing pilgrimage season, authorities said on Sunday.

According to the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), a total of 1,02,338 pilgrims have so far arrived at the sannidhanam, the temple complex, through various forest paths.

Of these, 37,059 devotees used the Azhuthakadavu-Pamba route, with an average daily arrival of 1,500 to 2,500 pilgrims, the TDB said in a statement.

Another 64,776 devotees opted for the Sathram route, which records a daily footfall of 4,000 to 5,000, Authorities expect the number of devotees using forest routes to rise further in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the overall number of pilgrims visiting Sabarimala for darshan has crossed 24 lakh this season.

Up to December 13, a total of 23,47,554 devotees reached the Sannidhanam via the Pamba-Sabarimala path alone.

Including forest-route arrivals, the total footfall surpasses the 24-lakh mark.

Currently, an average of around 80,000 pilgrims are reaching Sabarimala daily, the TDB said.

The highest footfall of the season was recorded on December 8, when 1,01,844 devotees visited the shrine.

Earlier, on November 24, the number of pilgrims had also crossed one lakh, reaching 1,00,867, the statement added. PTI LGK SSK