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KERALA, INDIA, January 14, 2001: A division bench of the Kerala High Court declined to order an inquiry into the secrecy of makara jyoti (celestial light) appearing at Ponnambalamedu on the makara sankranti day during the Sabarimal pilgrimage. The bench stated, “To find out whether makaravilakku is natural or artificial is not the duty of this court to enquire. These are all matters of faith and belief from time immemorial. The court is not empowered to go into the correctness of such a belief.” Two petitions were filed after a stampede claimed 52 lives while watching the light on January 14, 1999. The petitioners maintained that the light was nothing but the lighting of camphor by employees of the state electricity board under instruction from the management of the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala.

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