Sabarimala Pilgrimage: Government Enforces Mandatory Online Booking, Daily Entry Capped at 80,000
The Kerala government mandates online booking for the Sabarimala pilgrimage, limiting daily darshan entries to 80,000 devotees to ensure crowd management and safety
Sabarimala Temple
All pilgrims heading to the Sabarimala temple, including those taking forest routes, will now be required to pre-book online for the upcoming Mandala-Makaravilakku season. The daily number of pilgrims allowed will be capped at 80,000.
The Travancore Devaswom Board’s (TDB) proposal for mandatory Virtual Queue booking for all pilgrims was approved during a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday, which reviewed preparations for the pilgrimage season.
"Virtual Queue booking is compulsory, and anyone without a prior booking will not be allowed to access the main Pampa-Sannidhanam route or the forest trails from Sathram and Azhutha-Kalaketti," said TDB President P S Prasanth. He confirmed that there will be no on-spot booking this year, and drinking water and 'kanji' (gruel) will be provided along the forest paths.
Pilgrims will, however, be able to change their chosen route. For instance, someone who initially booked the Sathram forest route can switch to the Pampa route at the last minute without updating their booking online. "Our priority is managing the daily intake of pilgrims, but they are free to change routes as needed," Prasanth added.
Chief Minister Vijayan has instructed the devaswom and forest ministers, along with the TDB president, to convene a meeting to discuss further arrangements for the forest routes.
In addition, the TDB will open a women’s restroom and breastfeeding facility at Pampa, specifically for young mothers bringing their babies for their first rice-feeding ritual. “Until now, young women were allowed only up to Pampa, and there was no dedicated area for mothers to rest,” Prasanth said.
This season will also see expanded facilities for pilgrims. Four additional covered walkways (nadappandals) will be added to the existing three at Pampa, providing space for up to 3,000 people. A new temporary shed, capable of housing 3,000 pilgrims, will be constructed to replace the Ramamoorthy Mandapam, a resting area lost in the 2018 floods.
To improve the experience for waiting pilgrims, the TDB will provide ‘chukkuvellam’ (herbal water) and biscuits at the nadappandals, shed, and along the Pampa-Sannidhanam route.
