The Pulmedu forest trail is deserted due to the ban imposed due to rain.
Theni: The Pulmedu and Periya Path forest trails leading to Sabarimala have been temporarily closed due to the ban imposed due to rain. Due to this, devotees are taking an alternative route. Also, devotees are prohibited from entering the river as the Pampai river has flooded due to continuous rain.
The Meteorological Department had issued an announcement that heavy rain and 40 km. wind speed is likely to blow in Sabarimala due to the impact of the storm. Following this, a yellow alert warning was also issued for Pathanamthitta district, where the Ayyappa temple is located. In this situation, heavy rain fell in Sabarimala, Nilakkal, Pampai and other areas since the evening of the day before yesterday (Nov. 30).
This has caused difficulty for devotees in going to Sabarimala. Many people have taken shelter in shops along the way. However, many devotees have climbed the hill to have darshan of the Swami despite the rain. In this situation, various measures have been taken for safety due to the weather forecast that the rain will continue. It is currently raining and the impact of fog has increased in the forest areas. Therefore, the forest path that devotees walk from the inn near Vandiperiyar to the shrine via Pulmedu has been temporarily closed.
Due to the flood, it has been banned to enter the Pampai river, so there are no devotees.
Similarly, devotees have been banned from going from Erimeli to Pampai via Mukkuzhi. Due to this, all devotees are currently traveling from Erimeli to Pampai by vehicle and then from there to the shrine via Marakkoottam, Neelimelai, and Sarangothi.
In this regard, Idukki District Collector Vigneswari issued a press release: “Due to Cyclone Fenchal, an orange alert has been issued for Idukki district. Therefore, it has been banned to go to the shrine via Chatram and Pulmedu. The District Police Chief and Periyar Tiger Reserve officials should take steps to ensure that devotees follow this order,” the press release said.
Due to heavy rains, the Pampai river at the foot of Sabarimala has also increased in floodwaters. Therefore, Pathanamthitta Collector Prem Krishnan has ordered a ban on bathing, crossing and washing clothes in this river. Officials have said that this order will be in effect until normalcy returns. The number of devotees visiting Sabarimala has decreased slightly due to the change in weather.
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