In view of the incident, the Travancore Devaswom Board, which manages the hill shrine, has decided to strengthen the security from the downhill Nilackal to the 'sannidhanam', the temple premises, a top official said.
"We are planning to install a new security system that will enable us to scan and monitor pilgrims as well as vehicles from Nilackal onwards," TDB President Prayar Gopalakrishnan told PTI.
The 'panchavargathara', the square base, of the flag mast at the Lord Ayyappa temple was found damaged by using some chemical, suspected to be mercury, yesterday afternoon.
Gopalakrishnan said the damage was rectified in the night itself.
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"We could rectify the damage of the mast in the night itself," he told PTI.
He said those taken into custody had claimed that they sprayed mercury along with some other substance as part of a custom prevailing in their home state.
"They said that there is a custom in their state to pour a drop of mercury at the bottom of the mast. But we do not know whether what they said was true or not," he said.
Range IG Manoj Abraham today held a review meeting in Pathanamthitta district to take stock of the situation in the wake of the development.
Police are looking into all aspects, including whether there was any larger conspiracy behind the incident.
The teakwood mast, covered using 9.16 kg of gold, 300 kg of copper and 17 kg of silver, was ceremonially installed by the head priest Kandararu Rajeevararu after performing purification rituals yesterday morning.
The damage was noticed in the afternoon after the rituals were over.
Sabarimala, dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, attracts millions of devotees across the country and abroad during the three month annual pilgrimage season from November-January.