Sabarimala: Due to the heavy rush of devotees at Sannidhanam, darshan timings were extended by three hours on Saturday. The temple will close at 3 pm and reopen at 4 pm. The Devaswom Board has requested devotees to cooperate with darshan restrictions during the time of ‘Padi pooja’ and ‘Udayasthamana pooja’.

By 9 pm on Friday, the queue had extended beyond the Nadapandal, reaching near Marakkoottam. As more devotees continued to climb the hill, the crowd became so dense that there was hardly any space to move. Many, including children, were squeezed within the barricades in the Nadapandal. Once the temple closed after the singing of Harivarasanam, devotees found themselves unable to move.

A shortage of police personnel was the main reason for the failure in managing the situation. Matters worsened when people, including those from other states, attempted to jump over the barricades. Devotees faced difficulty in even accessing drinking water at Sannidhanam and the surrounding areas.