Days after a devotee lost his life after getting trapped inside the narrow Moksha Margam passage at a temple in Tamil Nadu, a disturbing video has resurfaced online showing another devotee narrowly escaping from the exact same spot months earlier.
Days after a devotee lost his life after getting trapped inside the narrow Moksha Margam passage at a temple in Tamil Nadu, a disturbing video has resurfaced online showing another devotee narrowly escaping from the exact same spot months earlier, raising concerns over the safety of the controversial rock passage.
The video resurfaced following the death of 36-year-old Manikumar from Andhra Pradesh, who died on July 24 while attempting to crawl through the narrow rock crevice along the southern path of Arunachala Giri during his pilgrimage to the Annamalaiyar Temple, The Hindu reported.
Manikumar became wedged inside the extremely tight opening and soon began experiencing severe breathing difficulties. Fire and Rescue Services personnel, with the assistance of local devotees, managed to pull him out after a strenuous rescue operation. However, he was declared dead after being rushed to a hospital.
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An old video documenting a similar ordeal began circulating widely across social media platforms.
The footage captures a woman trapped inside the same narrow Moksha Margam passage as she attempted to squeeze through the rocky gap. Unable to move and visibly struggling to breathe, she remained stuck for several agonising minutes while devotees desperately worked to pull her to safety.
She was eventually rescued without injuries, narrowly avoiding a fatal incident.
The resurfaced footage has reignited debate over the safety of the passage, with devotees and social activists demanding immediate intervention from authorities. They have called for warning signs, stricter access regulations for those who may not safely fit through the narrow gap, deployment of safety personnel, and improved crowd management to prevent further tragedies.
The passage is situated near the Idukku Pillayar Temple, one of the shrines visited by devotees during the 14-km Girivalam, the sacred circumambulation of Arunachala Hill.
For years, devotees have believed that squeezing through the narrow rock crevice, popularly known as Moksha Margam, or the “path to liberation”, offers spiritual rewards such as removing obstacles, warding off negative energies and helping one attain moksha, or liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
However, this belief is rooted in local folklore rather than established religious doctrine. There is no scriptural basis stating that passing through the narrow rock passage grants moksha.