Amid heavy pilgrim rush, Sabarimala tightens restrictions for crowd control measures
Sabarimala: With the two-month-long annual pilgrimage season witnessing an overwhelming surge in the number of devotees, authorities have introduced stricter crowd control measures at the Sabarimala temple from Saturday.
The temple opened the pilgrimage season on Monday, and unlike previous times, there was a massive rush, catching the authorities unawares, leading to chaos.
Starting Wednesday, the spot booking facility has been capped at 20,000 per day to prevent congestion and ensure a smoother darshan process at the hill shrine.
Officials said that once pilgrims arrive at Pamba, arrangements will be made to facilitate darshan and their return within the prescribed time limit.
In cases where the number of visitors exceeds the daily capacity, provision will be made for darshan on the following day.
The police and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) have strengthened the monitoring system to avoid overcrowding at key entry points.
Entry from Nilakkal to Pamba will now be regulated based on hourly footfall.
Accommodation and resting facilities have been arranged at Nilakkal to assist devotees whose darshan slots have been rescheduled or delayed.
Additional staff have been deployed at queue complexes along Marakkoottam, Saramkuthi, and Sannidhanam routes to manage long queues and ensure orderly movement.
Officials have also assured that drinking water will be available at all queue complexes.
In addition, light refreshments and traditional dry ginger coffee (chukku kaapi) will be provided free of cost to tired pilgrims.
To bolster crowd management and emergency response capabilities, the first team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from Thrissur has already reached the temple town.
Another team from Chennai is expected to arrive by Saturday evening.
These teams will assist local authorities in managing the rising number of pilgrims and responding to any potential hazards.
With lakhs of devotees expected in the coming days, authorities have urged pilgrims to strictly adhere to their allotted time slots and cooperate with security personnel to ensure a safe and disciplined pilgrimage season.