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Sabarimala pilgrimage: Crowd and chaos at the hill shrine

Last updated on - Dec 10, 2023, 14:44 IST

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Sabarimala pilgrimage season

The annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season at the Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple commenced on November 16, with rituals scheduled until the day of Mandala Puja on December 27. The temple will close at 10 pm on that day and reopen for the Makaravilakku festival on December 30, with Makaravilakku itself celebrated on January 15. (Photo: TNN)

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Earlier arrangements

State police chief Shaik Darvesh Saheb had said last month that all arrangements had been put in place. After holding a meeting with senior officers in Pamba, Saheb had said that 13,000 policemen were to be deployed for duty in six phases. (PTI photo)

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Rush at Sabarimala hill shrine

The Sabarimala hill shrine experienced a huge influx of pilgrims as thousands started arriving on Friday evening. Despite the efforts of the police and devaswom authorities to manage the situation, normalcy had not been restored as of Saturday night. (Photo: TNN)

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Long queues, slow movement and fading patience

Pilgrims, who had waited in queues for extended periods, some enduring up to 18 hours, lost their patience. Frustrated, some individuals breached the queue, jumping over barricades and advancing to Pathinettam Padi, leading to an uncontrollable rush near the holy steps. (Photo: TNN)

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Virtual queue booking limit reduced

To manage the rush, the maximum limit for virtual queue bookings has been reduced from 90,000 to 80,000. The queue at Sannidhanam extended all the way to Sabaripeedam. Due to the slow pace of movement, authorities imposed restrictions on pilgrims at Pamba. Consequently, vehicles of pilgrims were also restricted at locations such as Erumeli, Pamba, Nilackal, and Elavunkal, leading to long queues of vehicles in these areas. (Photo: TNN)

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Security management issue

The inexperience of the police in managing the crowd is considered as one of the reasons behind the situation. The new batch of the police team had taken charge only on Friday. (Photo: TNN)

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New directives by the devaswom minister

Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan has issued directives to implement necessary and effective measures to control the rush at the shrine during holidays. He attributed the heavy influx to the holidays. (Photo: TNN)

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Additional police units deployed

In response to the situation, additional police teams have been deployed at Sannidhanam and Pamba. The Devaswom minister has instructed both the police and devaswom officials to take measures to expedite the movement of the queue. Additionally, he urged the authorities to facilitate more medical facilities and increase the availability of ambulances for the well-being of pilgrims. (Photo: TNN)

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Additional medical facilities

Health minister Veena George said that a special rescue ambulance of Kanivu 108 will be deployed at Sannidhanam. The decision followed the approval granted by the High Court to offer ambulance services between Pamba and Sannidhanam. The vehicle, which is a four-wheel drive, can transport medicines and medical support during emergencies. The minister also said that the ambulance will also have the service of an emergency medical technician. (Photo: TNN)

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Rapid action medical units

Rapid Action Medical Units from Kaniv 108 have been mobilized to offer immediate medical assistance to pilgrims in need. Additionally, bike feeder ambulances have been prepared to enhance the emergency medical response for the well-being of the pilgrims. (Photo: TNN)

Top Comment

K RAMANUJAM

881 days ago

On 7th morning I was there at sannidhanam. At pathinettaam padi, police forces lifted us and not made us to climb. Worst crowd management

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