Pathanamthitta, Kerala: A 58-year-old woman from Kozhikode died after collapsing in the Sabarimala Temple darshan queue on Tuesday. The incident occurred amidst a massive influx of pilgrims, with nearly two lakh devotees thronging the Lord Ayyappa shrine within the first 48 hours of the Mandala-Makaravilakku season.

District administration sources confirmed the woman's death, which occurred as she waited in line for darshan. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has stated that they will cover the costs of transporting her body back to her hometown.

The surge in devotees has placed immense pressure on the TDB and police, who are tasked with managing the large crowds. Television footage showed tightly packed pilgrims near the 18 steps leading to the shrine, with significant delays reported. Some pilgrims have reported waiting for hours in the queue without access to water.

K Jayakumar, the newly appointed TDB president, acknowledged the situation, describing the crowd as "massive and dangerous". In response, he announced the deployment of 200 additional personnel to distribute water and refreshments to devotees. Instructions have also been issued to ensure a more orderly ascent of the 18 steps.

To ease congestion, the TDB has implemented measures at Nilakkal, including additional spot booking counters and restrictions on the flow of devotees from Pamba. Daily entry to Sabarimala has been temporarily capped at one lakh devotees, with spot bookings limited to 20,000 per day starting Wednesday.

Adding to the difficulties, a bus carrying approximately 33 pilgrims from Karnataka overturned near Erumely in the Kottayam district while en route to Sabarimala.

The incident highlights the challenges of managing the huge number of pilgrims during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season. Authorities are working to ensure the safety and well-being of devotees while maintaining the smooth flow of the pilgrimage.