KOCHI: The Kerala high court on Sunday asked the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages Sabarimala Temple, to consider keeping the sanctum sanctorum open for half an hour or one hour more, to accommodate the rush of pilgrims.
A division bench comprising justices Anil K Narendnran and PG Ajithkumar made the suggestion during a special sitting conducted on Sunday. The court’s suggestion came after being informed that the number of pilgrims is expected to reach around one lakh on Sunday as the bookings through the Virtual-Q system has already crossed 70,000. The number of bookings for Monday is above one lakh, the court was informed.
The court noted that the maximum pilgrim flow possible through Pathinettampadi is around 80 pilgrims per minute, or 4,800 per hour. When the sanctum sanctorum remains open for 18 hours a day, around 86,400 pilgrims per day can have darshan. Though the maximum pilgrim flow through Pathinettampadi is above one lakh per day, the actual number would be lesser as police has to assist senior citizens, children, and persons with disabilities, the court said.
After pointing to these, the court said in an interim order, “Now, the sanctum sanctorum of Sabarimala Sannidhanam remains open for 18 hours a day. It is for the Board, in consultation with the Tantri of Sabarimala, to consider the question as to whether the sanctum sanctorum can remain open for ‘half an hour’ or ‘one hour’ more.” The TDB’s counsel sought time to obtain instructions on the matter.
The court then directed the TDB, the district administration, and the district police to take necessary steps to ensure that all pilgrims have darshan at Sannidhanam and a comfortable pilgrimage. While regulating pilgrims at Pathinettampadi, the TDB has to ensure that pilgrims standing in queue from Marakkoottam to Nadapanthal are provided proper facilities, the court added.
Further, the court ordered the district collector and district police chief to evolve a crowd-management plan from Marakkoottam onwards when the footfall is expected to cross 75,000 per day. The court also asked the Sabarimala special commissioner to file a detailed report on crowd control measures adopted, including the incident at Marakkoottam on Saturday. The court will hear the case again on Monday.
