Kerala: Sabarimala Makaravilakku Festival Begins

The 21-day long Makaravilakku festival season begins at Sabarimala, Kerala on Saturday, Dec. 31, 2011. Heavy rush was witnessed for the darsan of Lord Ayyappa on the first day.

The jam-packed queue of pilgrims for darsan extended up to Sabaripeedom on the trekking path. The pilgrims, who were held up in queues, were forced to stand for 15 to 16 hours for darsan.

The rain that lashed Sabarimala since Friday afternoon caused severe hardships to the pilgrims, especially those who were stranded on the trekking path between Marakoottam and Saramkuthi. The slippery surface of the trekking path between Marakoottam and Saramkuthi added to the problems on the queue path.

The Valiyanadapandal was flooded with pilgrims and the police had a tough time controlling the crowd. Barricades were erected at three points between the Foot Overbridge and Arattu Kadavu.