Ayyappa devotees asked not to go to Sabarimala shrine

Ayyappa devotees wishing to go to the hill shrine of Sabarimala for the Onam festival have been advised by authorities not to go there as flood waters in the Pampa river at the foothills has not receded.

Besides, roads in nearby areas of Pampa have been damaged and several trees en route to the shrine uprooted under the impact of the heavy rains, the Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the shrine, said.

The path to the shrine was also filled with mud and this would make trekking to the shrine very dangerous, the TDB said in a release. The temple will open for Onam poojas on August 23 and close on August 28. The devastating deluge in Kerala has left 223 dead in a fortnight and forced over 10 lakh people out of their homes.