Ayyappa devotees from AP

We recently had the pleasure of visiting Trivandrum for a couple of days, and our first stop was the beautiful Padmanabaswamy Temple. We arrived early in the morning and were pleasantly surprised to find that the crowd was manageable, allowing us to join the ₹50 queue without much hassle. However, as we approached the sanctum sanctorum, things became a bit chaotic. It seemed that some devotees were quite eager to get closer to the deity, which led to a bit of pushing. While I noticed many Telugu devotees in the crowd, I want to emphasize that this isn't a reflection on any group as a whole; it's just a reminder of how important it is for everyone to respect each other's space, especially when there are children involved. My daughter, who is just 10 years old, felt a bit overwhelmed by the pushing. May be they should be reminded of the recent incidents which caused stampede. After our temple visit, we headed to Kovalam Beach in the evening. It was bustling with activity, and we spotted several vehicles registered in Andhra Pradesh carrying Ayyappa devotees. Interestingly, there were also many visitors from Tamil Nadu(ayyappa devotees) on the beach. It made me wonder about the blend of spirituality and leisure—Do Ayyappa devotees feel that beach outings are part of their pilgrimage experience? rant over