Ernakulam: The Kerala High Court has strongly reprimanded the state government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for the uncontrolled crowd of pilgrims during the Sabarimala Mandala season. The court warned that devotees cannot be pushed into life-threatening situations and urged authorities to take immediate steps to prevent any major disaster.
Expressing deep dissatisfaction over the shortcomings in preparations for the Mandala season, the court questioned why none of the Devaswom Board’s assurances were implemented. The court asked, “Are the preparations for Sabarimala being treated like preparations for a local festival?”
Said that preparations should have begun six months ago, the court criticized the lack of coordination within the Devaswom Board. The bench asked, “Why are so many people being allowed to climb simultaneously?” The bench stressed that crowd management must be done scientifically and the number of pilgrims controlled.
The court further stated that authorities must clearly define where and how 90,000 pilgrims can be accommodated. The court stated that police alone would not be sufficient. A dedicated crowd management coordinator would be required.
Highlighting the plight of devotees, the court observed that those standing in queues for eight hours were unable to find clean toilets or water. The bench said, “People are suffocating in queues. Think about those who come with children.” The bench again warned that if corrective measures are not taken, a major tragedy could occur. The state government and the Devaswom Board were directed to provide a detailed explanation by Friday.
Recent reports have revealed heavy crowds at Sabarimala since the temple opened during the festival season. The High Court’s intervention comes against this backdrop. Meanwhile, Travancore Devaswom Board Chairman K. Jayakumar stated yesterday that several steps have been taken to ensure smooth darshan for pilgrims arriving at Pampa.
This includes crowd control at Nilakkal based on the number of devotees arriving at Pampa. He explained that there are approximately 20 queue complexes between Marakkoottam and Saramkuthi, each with seating capacity for 500-600 people at a time. Drinking water and food have been arranged for those waiting. Coordinators will also be appointed to ensure proper management at these complexes, and announcements will be made to guide pilgrims.
Adgp S. Sreejith, the chief coordinator of the Sabarimala police, told the media that crowd management at Sabarimala is the responsibility of the police, and the situation has not yet reached a crisis point.
Crowds under control today
The crowds at Sabarimala remained relatively controlled today, with pilgrims not having to wait for hours. Traffic towards the hill temple has also returned to normal. There are no reports of vehicles being stranded. The queue time at Nadappanthal, which was five to six hours yesterday, has been reduced to about an hour today. Additional booking counters have also been opened to manage the crowds.
Pilgrims who returned without darshan were called back
In a special initiative, ADGP Sreejith, the chief coordinator of the Sabarimala police, arranged darshan for a 17-member group. This included first-time devotees of ‘Kanni Ayyappan’ who had to turn back due to the heavy crowd. The group had reached Marakkoottam from Pampa but had to return due to the crowd. Upon receiving the information, the ADGP contacted them by phone and assured them that darshan would be arranged for everyone in the group, including women and children.
