Another Black Friday for Sabarimala pilgrims

The mishap at Pulmedu in Vandiperiyar in Kerala’s remote Idukki district which claimed 102 lives on Friday,is the third and worst mishap involving the Sabarimala pilgrims on the ‘Makara Jyothi’ day on Jan 14.

Lakhs of pilgrims converge at the holy shrine to watch the ‘Makara Jyothi’,a bright flame that flickers three times on a remote hillside fo Ponnambalamedu,every year and the number of devotees keeping growing each pilgrimage season.

On Jan 14,1952,66 Ayyappa pilgrims were burnt to death when two cracker sheds caught fire while on the same day in 1999,52 pilgrims were killed following a stampede while they were returning after witnessing the ‘Makarajyothi’ at pamba.