Controversies over crowd management have marred the annual pilgrimage to Sabarimala this season. Hiran Unnikrishnan treks up the hill shrine along the Vandiperiyar route to take stock of the situation.
The road lined with trees opens from Vandiperiyar, a sleepy hill station in Kerala’s Idukki district, and meanders across an intricate network of tea plantations. A 12-km journey takes you down a village track that opens to a valley.
