Please watch the video.
I have first visited Sabarimalai for the first time in 1971 for Makara Vilakku and had darshan.
Since then I have visited Sabarimalai about 15 times, though not for Jothi .
However I have been seeing it on TV every year.
This year I have noted the following points in Live telecast on Jaya TV in Bangaloreand my sister in law at Madras on Sankara TV.
Jaya TV.-While Tiruvaabaranam was in the process of being adorned on the Lord, the Sannidhi seemed to be open.
-Some pilgrims(not police/volunteers) were found to be not in Sabarimala attire.Couple of them were wearing white shirts.
-Garudan hovering over the Tiruvaabarana procession was missing.
-Normally the Jothi appears between 18-43 abd 18-47.
-This year it was at 19-11(give or take a couple of minutes)
-Finally the jothi.It normallyappears once the Deepaaradanai is completed for the Lord and a celestial light floats and skims beneath the Star thrice.
This year, the light appeared to be a circular blob,it did not skim and fade.
It appeared only twice and after the first sighting it disappeared immediately and reappeared .
I am pained.
Was there any short coming in the performance of Rituals.?
Will some body who has witnessed in the Jothi in 2011 in person inform me on this?
* I will write on Makara Jothi , a miraculous phenomenon in detail for those who may not know about it(especially foreign readers)
At least after this stampede tragedy the temple authorities and the govt should tell the people that the makarajyothi is a man made fire.The lighting should be shown for a longer time so that there is no mad rush to witness it which could have caused the stampede.if people know it is man made they would be more relaxed.The govt and the temple authorities must act boldly.In this day and age we cannot be perpetrating miracles
see the link
http://sinosh.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/makarajyothy/
It’s Black Pongal for Tamil Nadu Pilgrims. In a similar incident that took place in 1999 about more than 50 devotees killed. The State Govt. as well as Temple authorities ought to have taken precautionary measure to avert this type of unwanted incident. It’s lesson to all authorities concered to Plan it properly to control the situation like this to avoid loss of precious life by this avoidable type of stampede atleast in future!
I think this comment is meant for an accident story of the same date.