COIMBATORE: At least three devotees died while climbing up the Velliangiri Mountains, a group of seven hills, in Coimbatore district over the last two days. A total of five pilgrims had died in the last two months, sources said. Devotees from across the country who visit the Velliangiri Aandavar Temple located atop the hill must climb up the mountains for a distance of six km to visit the temple.
To address the issue of rising fatalities, the state forest department issued an advisory on Monday warning that Velliangiri hills is one of the most difficult trekking routes in Tamil Nadu. The Coimbatore district administration has now decided to collect a mandatory undertaking on health from visitors.
According to police sources, the first death was reported around 1 pm on Sunday when devotee CH Subba Rao (68) of Hyderabad developed breathlessness while he was on the fourth hill. The Alandurai police were intimated about the death and volunteers brought the body downhill. Three hours later, the second death was reported at the first hill when M Thiyagarajan (35), a pilgrim from Salem, collapsed when he was climbing down the hill.
In yet another fatality on Monday, S Pandiyan (40) of Theni collapsed at Vazhukkuparai on the second hill and died before volunteers rushed to his rescue. All three bodies were shifted to the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital for postmortem and Alandurai police are investigating the cases.
Velliangiri, one of the most difficult trekking routes
With these three deaths, the total number of pilgrims who had died in the ongoing pilgrimage season since February has gone up to five. Two more pilgrims, A Tamilselvan (24) of Vellore and R Kiran (22) of Coimbatore, had died on February 25 and March 10, respectively, police said.
Coimbatore Collector Kranthikumar Pati said, “The undertaking letter should have the declaration that the person knows that trekking on Velliangiri Hills is risky. Those who want to climb up the hills should read the conditions about physical fitness and health status. People would be allowed to climb the hills at their own risk only after giving the undertaking. Simultaneously, they would also be explained about the risks involved in climbing the hills at the government office located at the foothills.”
“As the number of pilgrims visiting Velliangiri has gone up, we are discussing ways to conduct physical fitness screening for all in a short period before allowing them to climb the hill,” the collector said.
According to Boluvampatti Forest Range Officer T Suseendranath, the number of devotees who climb up the hills during weekends will be around 5,000 to 6,000 and it crosses 15,000 on special pooja days. “While 13 people died in four months (February to May) in 2022, the count decreased to eight in 2023. This year we have lost five lives so far,” he said.
Visit the hills in groups, not as individuals: Advisory
The forest department on Monday issued an advisory saying that Velliangiri hills is one of the most difficult trekking routes in Tamil Nadu. “Senior citizens, those who have undergone intensive care treatment for Covid, and those with heart ailments, breathing problems, diabetes and other health issues must undergo a detailed medical screening to ensure they are fit before climbing the hills. The advisory also urged devotees to trek the hills in groups and not as individuals.