No Spot Booking At Sabarimala This Year; 80,000 Pilgrims Allowed For Darshan A Day: Kerala Minister

The virtual queue system will allow pilgrims to select their travel route at the time of booking, helping them choose less crowded paths.

Kottayam (Kerala):Kerala Devaswom Department Minister V N Vasavan has announced that there will be no spot booking for Sabarimala pilgrims this year. The minister clarified that pilgrims arriving without pre-booking will be checked at the site. With the introduction of spot booking, the number of pilgrims exceeded expectations, leading to challenges in crowd management. As a result, the government has decided to eliminate spot booking to control congestion.

The minister also said additional parking facilities will be arranged at Nilakkal and Erumeli, and a maximum of 80,000 people will be allowed to have darshan per day. Reporting at Sabarimala will be restricted to accredited journalists only, as per a court order. However, the court will be informed about an alternative arrangement involving a special pass issued by the board.

This decision was taken during a review meeting of the Sabarimala Mandala-Makaravilakku Mahotsava, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The virtual queue system will allow pilgrims to select their travel route at the time of booking, helping them choose less crowded paths. Necessary facilities will also be provided for devotees on the Forest Path.

During peak hours, if vehicle control is required, identified centres will be equipped with the necessary infrastructure. Roads and parking areas leading to Sabarimala will be repaired soon to accommodate the high number of visitors.

The darshan slots should be booked in advance through the Sabarimala online booking system on the Travancore Devaswom Board website. Unlike last year, where spot booking was allowed for unregistered pilgrims, this year online booking is mandatory. More than a lakh pilgrims had thronged at some points last year, prompting the decision to make the entire booking process online.