Taking into consideration the likelihood of pilgrims overstaying on the hillock coupled with a sharp surge in inflow, authorities are introducing rapid measures with a view to easing the rush of devotees anticipated for the Makaravilakku festival at Sabarimala.
P.S. Prasanth, president, Travancore Devaswom Board, says the cap on virtual queue bookings per day will be brought down to 50,000 on January 14 and 15. Anticipating a rush of pilgrims without prior bookings, the daily limit of spot bookings on these days will be limited strictly at 10,000.
Further, the devotees making their way to the temple on these days will be directed to book their spots at Nilackal instead of proceeding directly to Pampa. “These are the two days when the temple is slated to witness the highest footfall. These measures are being brought into keep the crowd, especially on the day of the Makaravilakku on January 15, under control,” he says.
