Spot booking curbs in effect at Sabarimala; rush under control

PATHANAMTHITTA: With spot booking now capped at 5,000 per day following a Kerala High Court directive, authorities at Sabarimala said that the barrage of pilgrims that overwhelmed the hill shrine earlier this week has finally been brought under control. The restrictions, which came into force on Wednesday night, will remain until November 24. Meanwhile, spot booking will now be available only at Nilakkal and Vandiperiyar, while the centres at Pampa, Erumely, and Chengannur have been suspended temporarily. The TDB has urged devotees to rely on the virtual queue system to secure darshan slots. The High Court had sharply criticised the TDB on Wednesday, observing that the situation at Sabarimala had gone out of control, with nearly two lakh pilgrims reaching the hill shrine within 48 hours of the temple opening on November 17. The unprecedented influx had exposed major lapses in crowd management. At Nilakkal, spot booking was halted late on Wednesday night, triggering a brief protest by devotees who had been waiting for passes. The system was restored on Thursday morning, but officials said the counters could issue only the court-mandated 5,000 passes. The sudden restrictions caused widespread confusion, especially among pilgrims from other states. Large crowds gathered at Nilakkal and Pampa, many unaware of the High Courts cap on spot booking. Passes were exhausted quickly, yet hundreds remained outside the counters, unsure why they were being denied access to Sannidhanam without a virtual queue pass. Staff on the ground struggled to explain the new rules to non-Keralite pilgrims, many of whom had reached the base stations after long journeys, expecting spot booking to be available. Sabarimala ADM Arun S Nair said the situation is now fully under control. As the pilgrimage enters its fourth day, the lapses witnessed in the initial days have been completely rectified. All departments, along with the TDB, are working together to make this season the most efficient, he said. Massive cleaning and review measures A comprehensive review meeting was held on Thursday to assess the arrangements for the Mandala-Makaravilakku season. The ADM supervised a large-scale cleaning drive from Sannidhanam to Marakkoottam, including inspection of queue complexes. Both biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste were cleared along the trekking path. Over 400 workers, with designated supervisors for each zone, have been deployed to maintain hygiene in seating areas and restrooms along the Marakkoottam-Sharamkuthi-Sannidhanam stretch. Departments were also instructed to strengthen emergency medical aid, drinking water supply, food distribution, and sanitation.