Pathanamthitta: Pilgrims who book their Sabarimala darshan through the Virtual Q must reach the temple on the date allotted to them, Sannidhanam Special Police Officer R Sreekumar said. Turning up on a different date creates crowd-management difficulties, he added. Spot bookings are issued from Nilakkal based on the crowd at Sannidhanam.

While bookings above 5,000 require approval from the Special Commissioner, the average number of spot bookings issued daily is around 8,500. On Tuesday, 8,800 spot bookings had been issued by 3 pm. If the situation permits, additional bookings beyond the initial 5,000 issued from midnight are also allowed.

Crowd control at Pathinettampadi
A total of 1,590 police personnel are currently deployed at Sannidhanam, higher than in previous years, to ensure a smooth darshan experience for pilgrims. The Pathinettampadi remains the most critical point for crowd regulation. While police elsewhere function in three shifts, this spot is manned in four: A, B, C and D. Fifteen personnel are posted on each side of the steps at all times. Sixty officers rotate every 15 minutes, followed by a complete shift change every hour.

Although about 80 pilgrims can climb the steps per minute, the pace slows significantly when assisting elderly devotees, differently abled pilgrims, children, and those requiring extra support.

Around 2,500 pilgrims reach Sannidhanam daily via the Pulmedu route. The number of devotees opting for civil darshan is also considerably higher than the official count of those climbing the 18 steps. Additionally, thousands of staff members and shop workers at Sannidhanam visit the shrine each day.