Ottapalam/Pampa: What began as an ordinary bus journey became a heartwarming spiritual moment when KSRTC conductor Ramadas began singing devotional songs for Lord Ayyappa on the Ottapalam–Pampa route, creating an atmosphere of bhakti that passengers will not forget.

As Ramadas sang loudly, passengers joined in, chanting “Ayyappa” together, turning the bus into a moving temple. The video of the incident has gone viral, capturing the conductor’s devotion and the spontaneous participation of pilgrims.

“Scenes like this remind us why Sabarimala is not just a journey… it is an emotion,” a devotee shared. 

Another person commented, “The bus conductor is not only doing his duty, but he is also making the path more beautiful for all the devotees going for Swami Sarnam’s darshan. True, pure and devotional moment touches the heart.”

Sabarimala pilgrimage 2025 sees massive footfall

The heartwarming episode comes amid the ongoing mandala-makaravilakku pilgrimage season, which began on November 16. According to the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), 12,47,954 devotees have visited Sabarimala in the first 15 days, including 50,264 pilgrims on Sunday alone until 7 pm.

Authorities said crowd management has improved, allowing smoother darshan experiences, unlike the initial days of the season that saw heavy congestion, prompting a Kerala High Court directive to regulate spot bookings.