Sabarimala Pilgrimage Route and Forest Ecology of Pathanamthitta

Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta district is the world's second-largest annual pilgrimage, drawing 30–50 million devotees to the Ayyappa temple deep in the Periyar Tiger Reserve during the Mandalam-Makaravilakku season (November–January). Pilgrims trek 18 kilometres through dense forest from Pamba river base camp. The surrounding forest ecosystem — part of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot — contains critically endangered lion-tailed macaques, elephants, and rare medicinal plants. The pilgrimage's ecological footprint has been a subject of intense environmental debate, leading to conservation measures including restrictions on plastic, designated trekking paths, and daily pilgrim count limits. Traditional knowledge of the forest terrain is maintained by tribal communities who serve as forest guides.