Sabarimala Virtual Queue Delay Worries Devotees Ahead of Pilgrimage Season
Pathanamthitta: With only a few weeks left for the Sabarimala Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage to begin, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has still not opened the virtual queue booking system. This delay is causing concern among devotees, especially those traveling from other states, as they are unable to confirm their travel plans.
The Mandala season will start on November 17. The temple will open on November 16 at 5 PM for the ceremonial rituals and remain open till December 27. After a short break, the shrine will reopen on December 30 for the Makaravilakku festival, which falls on January 14, 2026. The pilgrimage season will finally conclude on January 20.
Virtual queue booking is mandatory for darshan at Sabarimala. Since the portal is not yet active, many devotees — especially from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra, odisha— are waiting for clarity to book their train tickets and other travel arrangements.
TDB president P S Prashant said the Board is planning to start virtual queue bookings from November 1. He also mentioned that the daily limit of devotees may stay close to 70,000, similar to last year. However, the final cap will be decided after discussions with police and other departments.
Police officials have suggested that the number of daily pilgrims should be reduced to improve safety and crowd management.
As the season approaches, devotees are hoping for a quick announcement from the Board so that they can plan their pilgrimage without uncertainty.