SABARIMALA: Despite the tensed situation at Sabarimala, hundreds of devotees including elderly women and children offered prayers at hill shrine without any difficulty.
Most of the devotees, who reached at temple amidst protests and confusion, returned home peacefully. “We did see some protest and Namajapam Yanjam against the Supreme Court order at Nilakkal and Sannidhanam. But it made no impact on us. Neither the police nor the protesters stopped us. Sabarimala has its own sanctity and it should be preserved,” said a 55-year-old woman from Moovattupuzha in Ernakulam.
Devotees, who reached from other states, were happy as they got ample time to spend at the sanctum sanctorum. “When we started our journey, we were not sure about the situation here. We were worried about the protests as there are children in our group. But we are leaving the shrine with much satisfaction because for the first time we were able to spend more than two minutes at the sanctum sanctorum. We went visit the temple three times. Fewer number of devotees actually turned a blessing for us,” said Murukadas hailing from Selam in Tamil Nadu.
To ensure smooth darshan, police have deployed more force at Sannidhanam. “Whenever the devotees reach Sabarimala, it’s our responsibility to ensure a smooth darshan for them. Because there is tension prevailing in the area, we have taken enough steps to make devotees comfortable. Since the footfall is low, control the crowd was relatively easy,” said a police officer at Sannidhanam.