As nearly two lakh devotees arrived at the Lord Ayyappa shrine at Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta on Tuesday (November 18) within 48 hours of the temple opening for the annual “mandala-makaravilakku” pilgrimage season, the TDB and the police struggled to manage the massive flow of pilgrims, including children.

Visuals on TV channels showed a massive crowd of devotees packed like sardines in the small area in front of the 18 steps that have to be climbed to reach the main doors of the shrine.

Large crowds of devotees packed the pilgrimage route from Pamba, the foothills of Sabarimala, to the Sannidhanam, with many facing hours-long delays in climbing the path.

Small children carried on top of their parents' shoulders could be seen crying as the huge crowd of devotees jostled with each other

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