Huge rush of pilgrims at Sabarimala temple

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led UDF has urged the government to send a high-level team of ministers to Pamba to resolve issues arising out of the huge rush at the shrine. “The ministers should rush to Pamba and hold a high-level review meeting. Specific responsibilities need to be given to the officials to control rush and also provide basic facilities to the devotees,” suggested opposition leader V D Satheeshan.

The BJP threatened to launch an agitation if the government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) which governs the temple, fail to provide better facilities to the devotees. “Sabarimala devotees have been experiencing a harrowing time for the past several days. Even water is not available for devotees. If the government continues to manage the issue so poorly, our party will be forced to go for direct agitation,” warned BJP state president K Surendran.

However, the government has refuted the allegations levelled by the opposition parties. Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan said urgent steps are being taken by the police and authorities to regulate the rush at the shrine. More than 1 lakh devotees come to the shrine every day whereas, only a maximum of 80,000 can be accommodated. “Pilgrims are climbing the hill shrine through various places other than the designated entry points. We cannot chase and catch the pilgrims. But things have been brought under control now,” the minister said.

The government appealed to the opposition not to politicise the issue and to cooperate with the administration to normalise the situation.

The TDB on Sunday had decided to increase the darshan timings in Sabarimala temple by an hour following the huge rush of devotees. The board had modified darshan timings in the second half of the day from 4 pm to 11 pm to 3 pm to 11 pm.

Water and biscuits are being provided to the pilgrims standing in the queue.

Earlier, the Kerala police requested the TDB to restrict the number of devotees to 75,000 per day given the huge rush. During the current phase of the pilgrimage season, the number of devotees has gone up to a whopping 90,000 bookings per day through the virtual queue system and another 30,000 through spot booking.

With the number of children, women, and elderly persons also increasing, cops deployed at the shrine say it is tough to make them climb the Pathinettampadi (18 holy steps) swiftly.

The annual 41-day Mandala-Makaravilakku pilgrimage, which started on November 16, is witnessing a huge rush this season. A dynamic queue control system has been put in place this season to regulate the crowding at Sannidhanam.

The police are demanding that spot booking be stopped to restrict the number of pilgrims.

Amid the dispute, the authorities raised the number in the virtual queue to 80,000, but the decision could not be implemented.  The heavy

The rush at Sannidhanam has also caused difficulties in the transit camps. Vehicles are being regulated on the Erumeli-Nilakkal route.

The shrine had witnessed a huge rush during the past couple of days with pilgrims standing in queues for 14 hours. Many devotees have complained about the lack of facilities in the queue complex. The police and TDB are at loggerheads over controlling the huge rush of devotees. They say the Tirupati Model Queue complex is causing problems.