Spot Booking at Sabarimala Limited to 20,000
The Sabarimala pilgrim rush is currently under control, according to Travancore Devaswom Board President K. Jayakumar. He told Manorama News that from now on, only 20,000 pilgrims will be allowed daily through the spot booking system to regulate crowd flow. In addition, arrangements have been made for 70,000 pilgrims to visit through the virtual queue system, bringing the total daily number of devotees permitted for darshan to 90,000.
Jayakumar added that the situation was expected to normalize by evening.
ADGP S. Sreejith stated that the issue was not due to any lapse in preparations but because a large number of pilgrims arrived at the same time. Police deployment is adequate, he said, urging devotees to follow their allotted time slots strictly.
Although the High Court had directed that spot bookings be capped at 20,000 per day, in practice the number has often exceeded this due to the lack of a system to turn away walk-in devotees. Reports indicate that over 37,000 spot bookings have been allowed on certain days. Sreejith also noted that many pilgrims who booked slots through the virtual queue system visited on dates other than those reserved, contributing to congestion. He emphasized that if devotees arrive in an orderly manner, ensuring everyone gets a chance for darshan, the situation would improve significantly.
At present, an increased number of police personnel are stationed at the Sannidhanam. The police aim to facilitate the passage of around 85–86 devotees per minute across the sacred 18 steps, though they admit that this target has only been achieved during early morning hours. Women, elderly individuals, and families with children require special assistance while climbing, which also affects the flow rate.
To manage the situation, the Devaswom Board has decided to regulate the inflow of devotees from Pamba to Sabarimala based on crowd conditions at the temple. Pilgrims traveling from Nilakkal to Pamba will be allowed entry only according to real-time updates from the Sannidhanam. Jayakumar explained that by restricting those traveling from Pamba when necessary, the temple area crowd could be effectively controlled. Instructions in this regard have also been issued to the police. Additional facilities are being arranged for devotees within the queue complexes at Sannidhanam, he added.
Former Devaswom Board President P. S. Prasanth commented that there had been no lapses in initial preparations and that the situation was being handled as best as possible, describing the criticisms as expected. However, Opposition Leader V. D. Satheesan blamed both the government and the Devaswom Board for their failure to manage the crowd, calling the situation alarming. He further alleged that even basic necessities like drinking water were not adequately provided for devotees and urged the High Court to intervene.