The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has announced a temporary suspension of issuing special passes for Sabarimala devotees arriving on foot via the forest route.
This decision was taken to avoid prolonged waiting times for darshan among devotees arriving through Pamba using the virtual queue system and spot booking, according to a release by Devaswom Board member A Ajikumar.
Previously, special passes were issued to 5,000 devotees walking through the forest route. However, the number of devotees arriving via the forest path has increased fivefold, prompting the board to impose restrictions. The issuance of special passes has been halted until further notice, the release stated.
The exclusive darshan arrangements for pilgrims trekking through the traditional forest paths were introduced last month. These pilgrims were provided with special tags issued by the Forest Department, granting privileges such as a separate queue for darshan.
The Lord Ayyappa temple reopened on December 30 for the Makaravilakku festival, which is scheduled for January 14.
