Sabarimala Accommodation Slots Blocked Amid Expected Kerala CM V.D. Satheesan Visit
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SABARIMALA: Accommodation booking dates for the Thulamasa pooja period have been opened on the Travancore Devaswom Board’s official website, but accommodation slots have not yet been released. Devotees can book pooja and darshan, while accommodation remains unavailable.
The restriction comes amid reports that Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan is expected to visit Sabarimala during the Thulamasa period. Earlier, Devaswom Minister Muraleedharan had said that Satheesan would visit Sabarimala during the Thulamasa period, beginning on October 18, 2026.
However, the Chief Minister’s visit has not yet been officially confirmed, and no official confirmation regarding the proposed visit is currently available.
Earlier, it was also announced that the Chief Minister would hold a comprehensive review meeting at Pampa in October 2026 to assess infrastructure, crowd management and sanitation arrangements ahead of the upcoming pilgrimage season. He is also scheduled to visit the shrine on October 18 for the opening of the Thulamasa poojas.
The accommodation slots are being kept blocked amid the expected visit and related security arrangements. The Travancore Devaswom Board is expected to release the accommodation slots once the visit and security arrangements are finalised.
A similar arrangement was seen during the visit of President Droupadi Murmu to Sabarimala in October 2025, when restrictions were imposed on devotee access and accommodation bookings as part of the security arrangements for the President’s visit.