SABARIMALA: The devotees saw a big snake near the holy steps at Sannidhanam in Sabarimala. The snake was seen in the handrail at the beginning of the steps leading from the maha kanikka area to the appam and aravana counters below the holy steps Friday morning at around 9.30 am. The devotees prayed seeing the snake since it was ayilyam today.

The policemen on duty at the beginning of the steps, where hundreds of devotees’ pass, saw the snake first on the handrail. They then stopped the devotees from passing through. When the forest department officials arrived and tried to catch it, the snake moved from the handrail to the steps. It took about 20 minutes to catch it.

The forest department officials said that it was a non-venomous wild snake. Although poisonous snakes are caught from many parts of Sannidhanam, they said that this is the first time that a snake has been caught near the holy steps.