Sabarimala (Kerala), Jan 14 (IANS) The Sabarimala temple witnessed an unprecedented rush of pilgrims who have gathered to witness the Makara Jyothi or the celestial light that is to appear on the horizon later Thursday on the occasion of Makar Sankranti.

The Sabarimala temple is situated on the Western Ghat ranges at an altitude of 914 metres above the sea level and four km uphill from Pamba in Pathanamthitta district in central Kerala. The number of pilgrims visiting the shrine has been going up every year.

This is going to be an all-time record of pilgrims who are now staying put in and around the temple, Sabarimala Police Station in-charge Ravi Kumar told IANS.

'It appears that there is not an inch of space left and pilgrims are now stranded en route to the temple top because the crowd is really huge. Many of them are waiting for more than 12 hours to have a glimpse of the light which will appear around dusk,' said Kumar.

The police say the pilgrims are now crowded in an area of nearly 10-km radius around the temple, waiting for the celestial light to come up.

The citing of the celestial light on the horizon, marking the finale of the three-month-long pilgrim season of the hill shrine is considered the most auspicious.

Last year, the first celestial light flickered on the horizon at 6.45 p.m. The convention is that it flickers for twice more when the entire area surrounding the temple reverberates with chants of 'Sarana Mantram'.