
Hundreds of pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and Kerala thronged the Mangaladevi temple on the border with Tamil Nadu inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in connection with the Chitrapournami festival on Saturday.
The temple is opened only once a year and the district administration of Theni in Tamil Nadu and Idukki in Kerala jointly make arrangements for the festival. Pilgrims have to travel 14 km from Kumily through the forest to reach the temple and taxis conducted to-and-fro services. The pilgrims reached the temple at 5 a.m. when it was opened for pujas.