Pathanamthitta: Elaborate security and crowd control measures have been put in place at the Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala ahead of the annual Makaravilakku festival, which will be observed on Wednesday.

The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), which manages the hill shrine, said around 2,000 police personnel will be deployed at Sannidhanam on the festival day. As per a Kerala High Court order, entry to the temple complex has been capped at 30,000 pilgrims through the virtual queue system and 5,000 through spot booking.

Pilgrim movement from Nilakkal to Pampa will be stopped from 10 am, while movement from Pampa to Sannidhanam will be halted from 11 am on Makaravilakku day, the TDB said in a statement.

The Thiruvabharanam procession, carrying the sacred jewels to be adorned on Lord Ayyappa, is expected to reach the traditional route around 5.30 pm under tight security and arrive at Sannidhanam by about 6.20 pm. Devotees have been advised not to touch the wooden box carrying the Thiruvabharanam or create congestion along the procession route. Pilgrims have also been instructed to view the Makara Jyothi only from designated vantage points and to avoid cooking or engaging in unsafe activities in forest areas.

In view of the heavy rush, the Forest Department has made additional safety arrangements, including the construction of a temporary footbridge across the Pampa river, installation of barricades and deployment of 120 extra personnel in the Pampa, Pulmedu and Sannidhanam areas. The Eco Development Committee has deployed 136 volunteers for sanitation work at key locations.

Fire and Rescue Services teams have been stationed at Sannidhanam, Pampa and other sensitive points, with 31 vehicles, including ambulances and rescue units. A trained scuba diving team has also been deployed at Pampa, and joint inspections are being carried out by the police, Forest Department and Fire and Rescue Services.

Idukki District Collector Dr Dineshan Cheruvatt has declared a local holiday on Wednesday in Kumily, Vandiperiyar, Peermade, Peruvanthanam and Kokkayar panchayats in connection with the Sabarimala Makaravilakku festival.

51 lakh devotees visit Sabarimala till Jan 12
Meanwhile, TDB president K Jayakumar said over 51 lakh devotees have visited Sabarimala during the ongoing mandalam-makaravilakku season, which began on November 16 and continued till January 12. During the same period last season, around 48 lakh pilgrims had visited the shrine.

The temple earned ₹429 crore during this period, compared to ₹380 crore last year. Jayakumar said barricades have been erected at various vantage points to facilitate safe viewing of the Makara Jyothi. He added that the counting of coins offered by devotees is yet to be completed and additional personnel from other temples will be deployed to finish the process by January 20.

A review meeting on the recently concluded pilgrimage season will be held on February 6, following which preparations for the 2025–26 mandalam-makaravilakku season will begin, he said.