Pathanamthitta, Nov 18:
The Mandala–Makaravilakku pilgrimage season at Sabarimala has begun under severe strain, with thousands of Ayyappa devotees reporting intense crowding, inadequate facilities, and poor management, raising serious concerns about the readiness of the administration to handle the massive influx.
With the footfall crossing *one lakh pilgrims a day—far above the 90,000 daily limit set under the virtual queue and spot-booking systems—authorities were forced to extend the *forenoon darshan session by two hours on Tuesday in an attempt to ease the congestion.
Hours-Long Queues, Collapsing Pilgrims
Despite repeated assurances of smooth arrangements, visuals from the ground depict long, slow-moving queues, water shortages, and exhausted pilgrims collapsing after waiting 10 to 15 hours for darshan.
The flow at the *18 sacred steps, a crucial bottleneck for crowd movement, has slowed drastically. Ideally, 90 pilgrims should ascend each minute to maintain smooth regulation, but the current movement has dropped to nearly half, leading to a queue stretching from *Sannidhanam to the covered walkway.
Devotees, including children and elderly women, fainted after standing for hours in packed passages without drinking water, shade, or basic rest facilities.
Devaswom Board Admits Lapses
Newly appointed Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President K. Jayakumar conceded that preparations were not adequate. He said that even on the second day of Vrischikam—a day that is not considered peak—the crowd numbers were unusually high.
Jayakumar pointed to shortages of *drinking water points, poorly maintained **bio-toilets, and *inadequate food supplies. Devaswom mess facilities, responsible for feeding thousands, struggled due to logistical failures.
Police Strength Stretched Thin
Security concerns have intensified due to the absence of central forces such as the NDRF and RAF, which were traditionally deployed for crowd control in previous years.
Although over 18,000 police personnel have been sanctioned for the season, only about 3,500 officers are currently deployed across Sannidhanam, Pampa, and Nilakkal—far below what is required for peak-season management.
Breakdown at Nilakkal Transit Hub
The situation at *Nilakkal, the key transit base for pilgrims, has also deteriorated. A shortage of **barricades, insufficient *KSRTC shuttle buses, and unregulated crowd movement triggered chaos, with jostling and confusion reported from the area.
Concerns of Repeat of 2023 Crisis
The rapidly worsening situation has drawn comparisons to the *2023 Sabarimala crisis, when thousands of devotees were stranded for hours amid severe mismanagement. Experts and officials warn that without urgent corrective measures, many pilgrims may be forced to *abandon their pilgrimage midway this year.
With footfall expected to surge further on weekends and auspicious days, the unfolding scenario calls for immediate intervention, stronger manpower deployment, improved infrastructure, and a comprehensive overhaul of crowd-management strategies to ensure the safety and comfort of pilgrims.
