Heavy rush at Sabarimala temple

With the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala witnessing a heavy flow of devotees, the income of the shrine has touched over £6.9 million in the first 20 days of the ongoing two-month-long pilgrim season. Till December 6, the revenue touched £6.94 million which was about £2.75 million more than it was in the corresponding period of the 2018-19 pilgrim season. During the previous season, the revenue during the period was £4.18 million. The shrine had opened for the mandala pooja on November 16. The temple complex and many parts of the state had witnessed unprecedented protests last year after the CPI(M)- led LDF government decided to implement the September 28 apex court verdict allowing women of all age groups to offer prayers at the hill shrine. This year, citing security reasons, the government did not provide police cover for women between 10-50 years of age to offer worship at the temple on the basis of the apex court's directions. Trupti Desai, a woman activist, had to return to Kochi, without being able to go to Sabarimala following protests by devotees opposing the entry of women in the menstrual age group into the temple.