Devotees slip along trek path in Sabarimala; TDB to kickstart flaming of stones on war footing

The Hindu

20-07-2025

With a growing number of devotees sustaining injuries from slips along the Neelimala stretch, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has once again closed the Neelimala route on the Pampa–Sannidhanam trekking path in Sabarimala.
Thirteen devotees sustained injuries on Saturday alone while descending the hillock amid heavy rains after offering darshan at the hill shrine in the evening. All the injured were given first aid at the Pampa General Hospital and later shifted to the Pathanamthitta General Hospital for further treatment.
Following his, a police team from Pampa rushed to the spot and stopped trekking via the Neelimala route.
Confirming the development, TDB president P.S. Prashanth said steps are in place to commence works to improve grip on the granite stones laid along the trekking path from Pampa to Marakkoottam. The devotees, meanwhile, are now being permitted to move through the Swami Ayyappan Road for the time being.
'The process involves applying high-temperature flames to the surface of the stone steps, which causes minerals in the rock to expand and fracture. This creates a rough, non-slip texture ideal for wet conditions,' he explained. Given a favourable weather, the work is slated to complete wihin a couple of months. Mahesh Panikkar, a sculptor who led construction of the new Navagraha temple in Sabarimala, will oversee the process.
Recent incident
Earlier on June 16, the route was similarly closed after around 30 devotees were injured while coming for the monthly pujas associated with the Malayalam month of Mithunam. Following that incident, the Travancore Devaswom Board had announced that the route would only be reopened after granite stones laid along the path were made more slip-resistant. Despite this assurance, the route was reopened without implementing the promised safety work.
The traditional trekking path, a vital segment of the forest pilgrimage trail, was paved with stones at a cost of ₹12 crore under the Swadesh Darshan scheme two years ago.
Continuous footfall from lakhs of pilgrims has polished the stones over time, making them dangerously smooth, particularly during monsoons, when moss, rotting leaves and mud add to the risk.