Over 30,000 devotees offer prayers,12-year-old girl sent back

: Around 32,000 devotees offered prayers at the Lord Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala on Tuesday, even as police prevented a 12-year-old girl from Puducherry to proceed to the hill shrine from Pamba.

While two women in the barred age group of 10-50 years were stopped by police on Monday from visiting the shrine, on Saturday, when the temple opened, at least 10 young women from Andhra Pradesh were sent back.

Approximately 32,000 devotees offered worship on Tuesday, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) sources said.

There was a dip in the arrival of pilgrims against the heavy rush seen since November 16 evening, when the shrine was opened.

There was heavy rain in the afternoon, causing difficulties to the pilgrims.

Unmindful of the heavy showers, policemen standing on the 18 holy steps, helped the devotees climb and offer prayers.

A total of 9.6 lakh devotees have made virtual Q booking for darshan till 10 am this morning, sources said.

The 12 year-old had come with her father to offer prayers at the shrine.

The age of the girl, with "irrumudikettu" (offerings to Lord Ayyappa) had been shown as 10 in the virtual Q booking.

When women police personnel checked her Aadhaar card it was found that she was 12-years-old following which they did not allow her to proceed further from Pamba to the temple complex, police said.

After those accompanying the child were informed about the current situation in Sabarimala, her father and other relatives proceeded to the temple.

Supporting the shrine's tradition, a nine-year-old Keralite girl, who came to the temple complex from Karnataka on Monday, had a placard around her neck inscribed with the words "Ready to wait. Will visit the shrine after attaining 50 years."