Sabarimala Room Booking: Darshan Reservation and OTP Verification to Become Mandatory
PATHANAMTHITTA: Authorities are planning new restrictions on online room bookings at Sabarimala following allegations that travel agencies and middlemen secured accommodation in bulk, leaving genuine Ayyappa devotees struggling to find rooms at Sannidhanam.
Under the proposed system, only devotees with confirmed darshan bookings will be allowed to reserve rooms online. Additional security measures, including One-Time Password (OTP) verification, will also be introduced to prevent misuse of the booking platform.
The Sabarimala High Court Special Commissioner is expected to submit a report shortly containing recommendations for implementing the new restrictions.
Currently, the online booking system allows individuals to reserve multiple rooms without restrictions. This loophole reportedly enabled travel agencies and intermediaries to secure large numbers of rooms as soon as bookings opened.
The issue came to light during the Thulam month pooja when all 400 rooms made available through the online booking system were reserved within minutes. The unusually rapid bookings raised suspicions that travel agencies had exploited weaknesses in the system to obtain rooms in bulk for commercial purposes.
Following complaints and allegations of irregularities, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) directed Devaswom Vigilance to investigate the matter. The investigation is already underway to identify those involved in the suspected misuse of the booking facility.
The proposed reforms aim to ensure that accommodation at Sabarimala is made available to genuine pilgrims rather than being controlled by travel agencies or intermediaries.
By linking room reservations to confirmed darshan bookings and introducing additional verification measures, authorities hope to make the accommodation booking process more transparent and prevent bulk reservations during the upcoming Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season.