Devotees barred from Marudhamalai shrine after 7 pm

COIMBATORE: Devotees were barred from visiting Marudhamalai Hill Shrine after 7 pm after a leopard was spotted on the temple premises.

The leopard was caught on camera when it was lurking around on the temple premises in search of prey. Over the last few days, the tribals in the hill settlement were perplexed over their dogs frequently going missing. Early on Saturday, a security guard was shocked to find a leopard retreating into the forest by grabbing a dog. Based on his information, the temple staff scanned the CCTV images and found the carnivore roaming on the premises.

As a precautionary measure, the temple administration has banned devotees from visiting the shrine after nightfall. Also, the cows reared in the Goshala (cow shed) at the hills were shifted to another facility in the plains.

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