With the annual Mandala Puja just days away, the Lord Ayyappa Temple has been witnessing a heavy rush as over one lakh pilgrims visited on Friday. A steady inflow of pilgrims was seen at Sabarimala in recent days as the police had eased certain restrictions even as the prohibitory orders are still in place.

"As many as 1,12,260 devotees have visited the shrine and offered prayers on Friday. It is the highest head count after the annual season began this year," the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) said in a statement.