Sabarimala Entry Capped on Makaravilakku Day; 35,000 Pilgrims Allowed
Thiruvananthapuram: Devaswom Minister V. N. Vasavan announced that entry to the Sabarimala temple on January 14, the day of the Makaravilakku festival, will be limited to 35,000 pilgrims. Of this number, 30,000 pilgrims will be allowed entry through virtual queue booking.
On January 13, entry will be permitted for 40,000 pilgrims. On the days prior to this, entry will be allowed for up to 70,000 pilgrims per day.
Spot booking will be restricted to 5,000 pilgrims per day throughout the season. Transport Minister K. B. Ganesh Kumar stated that an additional 100 buses will be arranged to help pilgrims return after the Makaravilakku festival.
From January 10 onwards, booking of rooms at Sannidhanam will be made completely online.
To facilitate viewing of the Makaravilakku - Sacred Flame from the temple premises, 250 golden passes with photo identification will be issued. Silver passes with photo identification will also be provided for pilgrims to stand on the flyover area.
The TDB has also advised devotees who arrive early and stay in temporary shelters around Sabarimala not to cook food themselves. Instead, food will be distributed by the authorities to reduce the risk of fire accidents.
To address safety concerns, additional police personnel will be deployed to prevent devotees from climbing trees to view the Makaravilakku. Tree branches along the Thiruvabharanam procession route will be cleared with the help of the Forest Department to ensure smooth passage of the sacred jewels.
Preparations are underway at Erumeli for the Chandanakkudam procession on January 10 and the Pettathullal ceremony on January 11.
For the return journey of pilgrims, 100 additional buses will be operated this year, increasing the total fleet to 900 from last year’s 800.