{"id":26263,"date":"2025-11-18T18:26:43","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T12:56:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?p=26263"},"modified":"2025-11-18T18:26:49","modified_gmt":"2025-11-18T12:56:49","slug":"sabarimala-chaos-devotees-stranded-for-hours-amid-major-mismanagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?p=26263","title":{"rendered":"Sabarimala Chaos: Devotees Stranded for Hours Amid Major Mismanagement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Pathanamthitta, Nov 18:<\/em><br>The Mandala\u2013Makaravilakku pilgrimage season at <em>Sabarimala<\/em> has begun under severe strain, with thousands of Ayyappa devotees reporting <em>intense crowding, inadequate facilities, and poor management<\/em>, raising serious concerns about the readiness of the administration to handle the massive influx.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the footfall crossing *one lakh pilgrims a day\u2014far above the 90,000 daily limit set under the virtual queue and spot-booking systems\u2014authorities were forced to extend the *<em>forenoon darshan session by two hours<\/em> on Tuesday in an attempt to ease the congestion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Hours-Long Queues, Collapsing Pilgrims<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite repeated assurances of smooth arrangements, visuals from the ground depict long, slow-moving queues, water shortages, and exhausted pilgrims collapsing after waiting <em>10 to 15 hours<\/em> for darshan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>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 *<em>Sannidhanam to the covered walkway<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Devotees, including children and elderly women, fainted after standing for hours in packed passages without drinking water, shade, or basic rest facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Devaswom Board Admits Lapses<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Newly appointed <em>Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President K. Jayakumar<\/em> conceded that preparations were not adequate. He said that even on the second day of Vrischikam\u2014a day that is not considered peak\u2014the crowd numbers were unusually high.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jayakumar pointed to shortages of *drinking water points, poorly maintained **bio-toilets, and *<em>inadequate food supplies<\/em>. Devaswom mess facilities, responsible for feeding thousands, struggled due to logistical failures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Police Strength Stretched Thin<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Security concerns have intensified due to the <em>absence of central forces<\/em> such as the NDRF and RAF, which were traditionally deployed for crowd control in previous years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although over <em>18,000 police personnel<\/em> have been sanctioned for the season, only about <em>3,500<\/em> officers are currently deployed across <em>Sannidhanam, Pampa, and Nilakkal<\/em>\u2014far below what is required for peak-season management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Breakdown at Nilakkal Transit Hub<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The situation at *Nilakkal, the key transit base for pilgrims, has also deteriorated. A shortage of **barricades, insufficient *<em>KSRTC shuttle buses<\/em>, and unregulated crowd movement triggered chaos, with jostling and confusion reported from the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><em>Concerns of Repeat of 2023 Crisis<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>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 *<em>abandon their pilgrimage midway<\/em> this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With footfall expected to surge further on weekends and auspicious days, the unfolding scenario calls for <em>immediate intervention<\/em>, stronger manpower deployment, improved infrastructure, and a comprehensive overhaul of crowd-management strategies to ensure the safety and comfort of pilgrims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pathanamthitta, Nov 18:The Mandala\u2013Makaravilakku 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\u2014far above the 90,000 daily limit set [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26263","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-national","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Sabarimala Chaos: Devotees Stranded for Hours Amid Major Mismanagement - VGlobe News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"*Pathanamthitta, Nov 18:*The Mandala\u2013Makaravilakku 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\u2014far above the 90,000 daily limit set under the virtual queue and spot-booking systems\u2014authorities 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\u2014a day that is not considered peak\u2014the 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*\u2014far 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.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?p=26263\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"*Sabarimala Chaos: Devotees Stranded for Hours Amid Major Mismanagement*\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"*Pathanamthitta, Nov 18:*The Mandala\u2013Makaravilakku 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\u2014far above the 90,000 daily limit set under the virtual queue and spot-booking systems\u2014authorities 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\u2014a day that is not considered peak\u2014the 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*\u2014far 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.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?p=26263\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"VGlobe News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/vglobenews.flow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-18T12:56:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-18T12:56:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-18-at-18.23.53_1af3a04b.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"690\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"388\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"VGlobe News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"*Sabarimala Chaos: Devotees Stranded for Hours Amid Major Mismanagement*\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"*Pathanamthitta, Nov 18:*The Mandala\u2013Makaravilakku 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\u2014far above the 90,000 daily limit set under the virtual queue and spot-booking systems\u2014authorities 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\u2014a day that is not considered peak\u2014the 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*\u2014far 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.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@VGlobeNews7\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@VGlobeNews7\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"VGlobe News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/?p=26263#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/?p=26263\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"VGlobe News\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/616b595b869ea3529a40ee29148fe1b8\"},\"headline\":\"Sabarimala Chaos: Devotees Stranded for Hours Amid Major Mismanagement\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-18T12:56:43+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-18T12:56:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/?p=26263\"},\"wordCount\":445,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"National\",\"Politics\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/?p=26263#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/?p=26263\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/?p=26263\",\"name\":\"Sabarimala Chaos: Devotees Stranded for Hours Amid Major Mismanagement - VGlobe News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-18T12:56:43+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-18T12:56:49+00:00\",\"description\":\"*Pathanamthitta, Nov 18:*The Mandala\u2013Makaravilakku 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\u2014far above the 90,000 daily limit set under the virtual queue and spot-booking systems\u2014authorities 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\u2014a day that is not considered peak\u2014the 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*\u2014far 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.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/?p=26263#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/?p=26263\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/?p=26263#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Sabarimala Chaos: Devotees Stranded for Hours Amid Major Mismanagement\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"VGlobe News\",\"description\":\"News from Village to Global\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Varun Global Network Solutions\",\"alternateName\":\"VGlobe News\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/Vglobe_News_Logo-D__2_-removebg-preview__1___1_-removebg-preview.png?fit=150%2C150&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/Vglobe_News_Logo-D__2_-removebg-preview__1___1_-removebg-preview.png?fit=150%2C150&ssl=1\",\"width\":150,\"height\":150,\"caption\":\"Varun Global Network Solutions\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/vglobenews.flow\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/VGlobeNews7\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/v-globe-news-56a884212\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/vglobenews\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/616b595b869ea3529a40ee29148fe1b8\",\"name\":\"VGlobe News\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f2228b627127a2a2a05d79525247c34866739b0de16aeea5767b29d2b67fc6d4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f2228b627127a2a2a05d79525247c34866739b0de16aeea5767b29d2b67fc6d4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/f2228b627127a2a2a05d79525247c34866739b0de16aeea5767b29d2b67fc6d4?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"VGlobe News\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/vglobenews.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Sabarimala Chaos: Devotees Stranded for Hours Amid Major Mismanagement - VGlobe News","description":"*Pathanamthitta, Nov 18:*The Mandala\u2013Makaravilakku 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\u2014far above the 90,000 daily limit set under the virtual queue and spot-booking systems\u2014authorities 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\u2014a day that is not considered peak\u2014the 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*\u2014far 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.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?p=26263","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"*Sabarimala Chaos: Devotees Stranded for Hours Amid Major Mismanagement*","og_description":"*Pathanamthitta, Nov 18:*The Mandala\u2013Makaravilakku 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\u2014far above the 90,000 daily limit set under the virtual queue and spot-booking systems\u2014authorities 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\u2014a day that is not considered peak\u2014the 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*\u2014far 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.","og_url":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?p=26263","og_site_name":"VGlobe News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/vglobenews.flow","article_published_time":"2025-11-18T12:56:43+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-11-18T12:56:49+00:00","og_image":[{"width":690,"height":388,"url":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/WhatsApp-Image-2025-11-18-at-18.23.53_1af3a04b.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"VGlobe News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"*Sabarimala Chaos: Devotees Stranded for Hours Amid Major Mismanagement*","twitter_description":"*Pathanamthitta, Nov 18:*The Mandala\u2013Makaravilakku 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\u2014far above the 90,000 daily limit set under the virtual queue and spot-booking systems\u2014authorities 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\u2014a day that is not considered peak\u2014the 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*\u2014far 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.","twitter_creator":"@VGlobeNews7","twitter_site":"@VGlobeNews7","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"VGlobe News","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?p=26263#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?p=26263"},"author":{"name":"VGlobe News","@id":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/616b595b869ea3529a40ee29148fe1b8"},"headline":"Sabarimala Chaos: Devotees Stranded for Hours Amid Major Mismanagement","datePublished":"2025-11-18T12:56:43+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-18T12:56:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?p=26263"},"wordCount":445,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/#organization"},"articleSection":["National","Politics"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?p=26263#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?p=26263","url":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?p=26263","name":"Sabarimala Chaos: Devotees Stranded for Hours Amid Major Mismanagement - VGlobe News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-11-18T12:56:43+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-18T12:56:49+00:00","description":"*Pathanamthitta, Nov 18:*The Mandala\u2013Makaravilakku 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\u2014far above the 90,000 daily limit set under the virtual queue and spot-booking systems\u2014authorities 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\u2014a day that is not considered peak\u2014the 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*\u2014far 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.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?p=26263#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?p=26263"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?p=26263#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Sabarimala Chaos: Devotees Stranded for Hours Amid Major Mismanagement"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/","name":"VGlobe News","description":"News from Village to Global","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/#organization","name":"Varun Global Network Solutions","alternateName":"VGlobe News","url":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vglobenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Vglobe_News_Logo-D__2_-removebg-preview__1___1_-removebg-preview.png?fit=150%2C150&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vglobenews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Vglobe_News_Logo-D__2_-removebg-preview__1___1_-removebg-preview.png?fit=150%2C150&ssl=1","width":150,"height":150,"caption":"Varun Global Network Solutions"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/vglobenews.flow","https:\/\/x.com\/VGlobeNews7","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/v-globe-news-56a884212\/","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/vglobenews\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/#\/schema\/person\/616b595b869ea3529a40ee29148fe1b8","name":"VGlobe News","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f2228b627127a2a2a05d79525247c34866739b0de16aeea5767b29d2b67fc6d4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f2228b627127a2a2a05d79525247c34866739b0de16aeea5767b29d2b67fc6d4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f2228b627127a2a2a05d79525247c34866739b0de16aeea5767b29d2b67fc6d4?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"VGlobe News"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/vglobenews.com"],"url":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/?author=1"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26263","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=26263"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26263\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26272,"href":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26263\/revisions\/26272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=26263"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=26263"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vglobenews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=26263"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}