'Blind faith is what drives them'

Yet, that doesn’t seem to deter people from thronging these places. In fact, the numbers only seem to increase year after year. Faith, they say, can move mountains. Which is why people do not care to think of their personal safety when it comes to visiting these centres.
Metrolife spoke to a cross-section of people to find out what makes them visit crowded holy places, sometimes risking their lives

Netra Kulkarni
Associate Consultant

People go on pilgrimages because of sentiments and belief in God. In any case, life is unpredictable and no one knows what is going to happen next. When people go on these pilgrimages, they don’t think they are going to die even if there have been accidents and incidents of stampede before. It is like going to office. Even if an accident happens on the way, one wouldn’t stop going there. 

 Sanjay S
Student

People put there lives in the hands of God when they go on these pilgrimages. They feel that God would protect them in all conditions and it’s because of that, there is no decline in the number of people visiting these places every year. Sometimes, it is like a chain reaction, when one devotee tells another about the good effects of visiting a place of worship and the other invariably wants to go there. The word thus passes on. Even if they happen to meet with an accident, they feel that God has saved them from the jaws of death. 

Balakrishna
Sales Executive

I have been going to Sabarimala for the past 12 years and would continue doing so. People visit these places because of the faith they have in God and the attraction that the place holds for them which can’t be described. If something good happens to me after my visit, I always tell others to go there. These accidents happen but people don’t take them to heart. They think that accidents happen and it’s a part of life. 

Srujan
Student 

People continue to go on pilgrimages because of blind faith. And if going to a particular holy place works for one person, they tell  everyone around them to visit the place too. As far as the people who die due to accidents or negligence are concerned, people say that they were destined to die and one should move on. Incidents like these don't deter people from going to Sabarimala or any other place of worship.

Nanda Kumar
Student

People have strong faith in God and aren’t worried about travelling in risky conditions. In addition to this, going for pilgrimage is followed as a tradition in some families. Even I would go to Sabarimala despite the incident that happened recently because of this tradition. There are many like me who do so. This is something one has to do and accidents are not taken into account when taking such decisions.