Huge Rush Of Pilgrims At Sabarimala Temple: Devotees Complain Lack Of Facilities

The UDF, led by Congress, has called on the government to dispatch a high-level ministerial team to Pamba to address the challenges posed by the overwhelming rush at the shrine. V D Satheeshan, the opposition leader, proposed a swift convening of ministers in Pamba to review the situation and allocate specific responsibilities to officials for crowd control and the provision of essential amenities to devotees.

The BJP issued a warning, threatening to instigate protests if the government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) fail to enhance facilities for devotees at Sabarimala. K Surendran, the BJP state president, highlighted the distress faced by devotees, citing a lack of even basic necessities like water. He cautioned that their party would resort to direct agitation if the situation persists.

However, the government countered the opposition's claims. Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan assured that urgent measures are underway, led by the police and authorities, to manage the rush at the shrine. Despite more than 100,000 devotees arriving daily when the maximum capacity is 80,000, the minister acknowledged challenges and unauthorized access routes but stated that the situation is now under control.

Amid the escalating political discourse, the government urged the opposition to refrain from politicizing the issue and encouraged cooperation with the administration to restore normalcy.

In response to the surge in devotees, the TDB decided to extend the darshan timings at the Sabarimala temple by an hour. The modified timings are from 3 pm to 11 pm in the latter half of the day, previously set from 4 pm to 11 pm.

Efforts are being made to support pilgrims standing in queues by providing water and biscuits. However, the Kerala police have requested the TDB to limit daily devotees to 75,000 due to the overwhelming rush. Despite this, the pilgrimage season has seen up to 90,000 bookings per day through the virtual queue system and an additional 30,000 through spot booking, causing difficulties in managing the influx of pilgrims, especially with the presence of children, women, and the elderly.

The ongoing 41-day Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage, starting on November 16, is experiencing an unprecedented rush this season. To regulate the crowding at Sannidhanam, a dynamic queue control system has been implemented. However, disputes persist, with police advocating for the cessation of spot booking to limit the number of pilgrims.

Efforts to increase the virtual queue's capacity to 80,000 faced implementation challenges. The congestion at Sannidhanam has also affected transit camps, leading to vehicle regulation on the Erumeli-Nilakkal route.

Recent days have seen extensive queues, with devotees waiting for up to 14 hours, resulting in complaints about inadequate facilities at the queue complex. This situation has escalated tensions between the police and TDB, attributing issues to the Tirupati Model Queue complex.