6 months ago
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Crowd absorption measures astatine Sabarimala were stretched to their limits connected conscionable the 2nd time of the yearly pilgrimage play connected Tuesday (November 18, 2025), with the full pilgrimage portion overwhelmed by an bonzer surge of black-clad devotees.
The unreserved during the time was truthful aggravated that the full agelong from Nilakkal to Sannidhanam witnessed an unprecedented inflow of pilgrims, keeping the constabulary and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials connected their toes. Many devotees, including young children and aged women, were forced to basal successful queues for up to 14 hours to person darshan.
Roads starring to the elevation temple excessively remained gridlocked arsenic police, successful an effort to negociate the swelling crowds astatine Pampa and Sannidhanam, stopped vehicles astatine assorted points specified arsenic Ilavungal. Stranded successful their vehicles for hours, pilgrims were near without entree to nutrient oregon drinking water.
With parking tons astatine Nilakkal overflowing, the olice further imposed restrictions connected the onward travel of pilgrim vehicles from large stopover points specified arsenic Erumely.
Although authorities person capped the regular pilgrim quota astatine 90,000, including 70,000 virtual queue bookings, the existent turnout successful caller days has exceeded this limit, a TDB authoritative confirmed. Due to lapses successful assemblage control, barricades placed earlier the 18 beatified steps were breached, creating a precarious situation.
Darshan timing extended
TDB President K. Jayakumar described the concern arsenic alarming and attributed the chaos to inadequate preparatory measures. Taking enactment of the dense crowding beneath the ineffable steps, the Board extended darshan timings by an hr successful the afternoon.
According to estimates, astir 2 lakh pilgrims had darshan astatine the temple by Tuesday noon, since the temple opened connected Sunday evening. Till 12 noon connected Tuesday alone, 44,401 devotees had arrived.
There were besides reports of respective pilgrims returning without darshan. Some proceeded to the Pandalam Valiyakoickal temple to execute Neyyabhishekam earlier heading home.
At Nilackal, devotees were seen jostling to committee KSRTC buses to Sannidhanam. Unlike successful erstwhile years, the barricade-based assemblage power strategy was not implemented astatine the autobus boarding constituent here, which besides contributed importantly to the congestion and confusion. The lack of cardinal forces specified arsenic the NDRF and RAF, who usually assistance successful assemblage regularisation astatine Sannidhanam and Pampa, has further worsened the situation.
Review meeting
Taking superior enactment of the unfolding crisis, the TTDB has initiated steps to modulate the travel of pilgrims from Nilakkal to Pampa, strictly limiting spot booking to 20,000 per time and making amended usage of the queue complexes on the trekking path. ADGP S. Sreejith, the authoritative successful complaint of assemblage absorption astatine Sabarimala, held a reappraisal gathering with Mr. Jayakumar
“There are astir 20 queue complexes from Marakkootam to Saramkuthi, each susceptible of accommodating 500 to 600 radical astatine a time. Drinking h2o and nutrient person been arranged for those resting inside,” said Mr. Jayakumar. A coordinator has been appointed to oversee creaseless operations.
To bring down spot-booking congestion astatine Pampa, 7 further counters volition beryllium opened astatine Nilackal, supplementing the 4 already functioning astatine Pampa. Another 200 unit person been deployed to administer blistery drinking water, portion 200 workers person been assigned solely for toilet maintenance.
Meanwhile, the plight of Sabarimala pilgrims has taken connected governmental overtones, with the Congress and BJP accusing the State authorities of failing to guarantee adjacent basal facilities.
The Akhil Bharatiya Ayyappa Seva Sangham has stepped in, requesting support to connection enactment successful managing the unreserved and providing escaped nutrient and h2o to devotees.
