Spot booking capped at 5,000 in Sabarimala after HC order, but thousands still queue up for passes
The High Court had capped spot booking at 5,000 devotees across the Pamba, Nilakkal, Erumeli, Chengannur, and Vandiperiyar-Sathram centres.
The High Court had capped spot booking at 5,000 devotees across the Pamba, Nilakkal, Erumeli, Chengannur, and Vandiperiyar-Sathram centres.
The High Court had capped spot booking at 5,000 devotees across the Pamba, Nilakkal, Erumeli, Chengannur, and Vandiperiyar-Sathram centres.
Spot booking for Sabarimala darshan was capped at 5,000 on Thursday after a directive from the Kerala High Court, but the order triggered long queues, confusion and frustration among thousands of pilgrims who had already reached the foothills. Under the new restrictions, spot booking is now available only at the Nilakkal and Vandiperiyar centres. Counters at Pampa, Erumeli and Chengannur have been temporarily closed. The restrictions will remain in force until November 24.
Despite the cap, large crowds gathered outside the two functioning counters from the early hours of Thursday, hoping to secure a slot. Many devotees told Manorama News that the passes ran out within minutes and alleged that some individuals were being given passes through “backdoor entry” while others waited for hours in the queue.
Most of the pilgrims had travelled from other states and were unaware of the High Court’s order, adding to the chaos. Several said they were unable to communicate with counter staff due to language barriers, worsening the situation.
After being shut on Wednesday night, the counters reopened after a seven-hour gap, only to be overwhelmed by the crowd. On Wednesday alone, 13,229 pilgrims availed spot booking until 10 pm, compared with 38,224 who booked through the virtual queue system.
Officials said that nearly 27,000 devotees who had booked for other days turned up on Wednesday itself, swelling the total footfall to around 80,000 by night.
The Travancore Devaswom Board has urged pilgrims to use the virtual queue system as far as possible. All virtual queue slots until December 12 are already booked, with only 70,000 passes available per day.
With spot booking counters at Pampa shifted entirely to Nilakkal, security has been tightened, and facilities are being upgraded. Over 200 police personnel have been deployed to manage the rush. Officials hope that the early arrival of pilgrims who had booked for later days may ease the pressure in the coming week.