Pathanamthitta (Kerala): The Sabarimala hill shrine has recorded over 15 lakh devotees this Mandala-Makaravilakku season, according to officials monitoring the pilgrimage.

By 7 pm on December 3, the official tally stood at 14,95,774 visitors, with numbers from late-evening arrivals still to be added, pushing the total footfall beyond 15 lakh. Authorities noted that nearly 15 per cent of those who booked slots through the virtual queue system did not turn up, while on-site bookings remain capped at 5,000.

The flow of devotees has been particularly intense, with 66,522 pilgrims reaching Sabarimala between midnight and 7 pm on Wednesday alone, marking a busy 18-day stretch in the ongoing season. Officials said crowd management remains fully under control, and an expansion of virtual queue s

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