Devaswom Board Temporarily Halts Neelimala Route Due to Slippery Conditions
The traditional Neelimala path of Sabarimala, paved and polished with stones, has become a challenge for the Devaswom Board. With pilgrims starting to slip and fall during the rainy season, travel via Neelimala has been prohibited.
The Devaswom Board President, P.S. Prasanth, said that the dangerous situation has been brought to his attention and that it will be resolved before the Chingamasa Puja.
The traditional Neelimala path, where pilgrims used to climb Sabarimala chanting “Kallummullum kaalukkumethai,” was paved with stones two years ago. Under the Central Government’s Swadeshi Darshan scheme, ₹12 crore was spent to lay stones. All steep ascents were converted into stone steps. More than two kilometers of the path were paved with stones. There is also a section with rough concrete laid on one side to allow ambulance passage.
Although rough stones were laid during construction, the footsteps of countless pilgrims have smoothed the stones in most areas. When it rains, moss forms on the stones, making them slippery. Additionally, fallen leaves from trees rotting and mud flowing in further double the slipperiness. No matter how much cleaning is done, the slippery condition persists. In recent days, many pilgrims have been injured due to falls. This led to the prohibition of travel through this route.
Devaswom Board President P.S. Prasanth said that steps will be taken to roughen the stones and instructions have been given to the maintenance department to prepare an estimate.
Even when the stone paving began, many had pointed out the possibility of the stones becoming smooth over time. Currently, pilgrims are traveling to and from the Sannidhanam via the concreted Swami Ayyappan Road. If more pilgrims arrive during the rainy season, controlling the crowd will be difficult. In the current situation, the Neelimala path can only be used if it is completely dry.