Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government is gearing up to handle the additional rush expected at the Sabarimala temple with the arrival of women devotees in the 10 to 50 age group.
With the Supreme Court recently ruling that women of all age groups have equal rights for entry to the Sree Dharma Sastha temple, a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday decided to limit the number of pilgrims to one lakh per day during the peak season which begins on November 16.
The current flow of pilgrims for darshan of the Lord Ayyappa is 80,000 to 90,000 per day.
The meeting also decided to allow digital booking for the darshan of the deity as per the Tirupati model. The digital booking would help the authorities with advanced information on the number of pilgrims expected each day, making security arrangements more organised.
Only pilgrims who have registered in advance and got a timing is allowed darshan at the Tirupati temple. An average 80,000 pilgrims arrive in Tirupati daily. Sabarimala currently has the virtual queue system. If the proposal is implemented, pilgrims can enter Sabarimala only through virtual queue booking.
Discussions on digital booking plans will be held with other south Indian states from where many pilgrims arrive. Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the Supreme Court's help would be sought to obtain more forest land.
Other decisions
• More facilities will be provided for women to relax at Nilakkal and other places. Nilakkal will have facilities for 10,000 women to take rest.
• There won't be a separate queue for women at the Sannidhanam. This is to make sure that they remain with the families rather than get lost in the crowd.
• Women will have separate bathing ghats and washrooms.
• More policewomen will be provided at the Pathinettam Padi (steps leading to the sanctum sanctorum).
• Women will be allowed to participate in voluntary work.
• A separate waiting area will be set up for women at the state transport bus station at Nilakkal. Five out of 15 ticket counters will be exclusively for women.
• Women pilgrims will have a 25% seat reservation on buses. Women conductors will be on duty.
Pending work
Sabarimala special commissioner M Manoj has reported to the government that the work required to be completed at Sabarimala, Pamba, Nilakkal and Erumeli before the Makaravillaku season is way behind schedule. The season begins on November 16.
The public works department of the Devaswom should be advised to expedite the work and finish it before the season, the Commissioner suggested. The Board chief engineer should be asked to draw up a work plan and submit it.
Call for woman IPS officer
The Kerala High Court has meanwhile asked the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) on what all facilities are to be set up at Sabarimala, now that women have been allowed to enter. Recalling a suggestion mooted earlier that a top-level security panel should be in place to regulate the crowds, the court said the government should include a woman IPS officer of the rank of a Superintendent or Inspector General.
The division bench was considering a report from the special commissioner on preparations at Sabarimala.
