Sabarimala tense, 50 women set out to visit shrine today

Sabarimala: With the annual “Mandala Puja” just days away, the Lord Ayyappa Temple at Sabarimala has been witnessing a heavy rush as over one lakh pilgrims visited the hill top temple on Friday. A steady inflow of pilgrims was seen at Sabarimala in recent days as the police had eased certain restrictions even as the prohibitory orders are still in place.  The pilgrim rush is expected to increase manifold in the coming days, it said.

However, anxiety looms large in and around the shrine in the backdrop of reports that a group of 50 women, all below the traditionally barred age of 50 years, are set to visit Sabarimala on Sunday under the aegis of ‘Manithi’, a Chennai-based outfit.

Selvy, a member of ‘Manithi’, told a TV channel that the group comprised women from different states, including Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala.She said they had already written to the office of Kerala chief minister in this regard and informed about their plan to trek the hill temple.

The police Saturday confirmed that the women’s group will offer prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple, which had witnessed intense protest against the implementation of the Supreme Court verdict permitting women of all age groups into the shrine.

“The group has not asked for any special security. When they reach the base camp, and if there is any law and order situation, we will deal with it accordingly,” a police official said.