Mandala-Makaravilakku festival that ended smoothly

Lakhs of devotees are making their way down Sabarimala with the satisfaction of having a pleasant Makaravilakku experience. It is worth mentioning that compared to previous years, this year's organization was flawless and without any major complaints from the beginning to the end of the Mandala Kalam. It was the joint work of the Devaswom Board, various government departments, devotee groups, etc. that made the Sabarimala pilgrimage smooth this time. Apart from the reality that various government officials, including the policemen, were on duty, the fact that the duties were performed in dedication to Ayyappan, is what led to the completion of a good pilgrimage season without any disruption to the arrangements. Devotees had faced many hardships last year due to the lapses in crowd control.

Last year there was an incident where devotees, including those from other states, returned with a broken heart after coming to Pandalam and Erumeli and taking off their Ayyappa Mala without even being able to reach the Kanana Patha. This had tarnished the image of the Devaswom Board and the government to a great extent even in other states. Therefore, this time, the authorities paid the most attention to making preparations that would not lead to even a small lapse. The first decision was to open the nada for 18 hours a day from the beginning of the Mandala Kalam. Adequate transport system, easy parking facilities, clean and hygienic food, availability of good drinking water, etc. were also efficiently arranged.

Plastic was banned from the very beginning. The Devaswom Board had informed other states also not to bring plastic in the irumudikett. There was great cooperation from the devotees in this regard this time. In previous years, it was not possible to know in advance how many devotees would be present at the Sannidhanam. Spot booking was also allowed along with virtual queue booking. This dual system has led to the avoidance of major complaints. It is better to continue this in the coming years. The decision taken by the High Court to allow parking for small vehicles at Pampa is also commendable. This time, devotees were able to have darshan without queuing for hours except on some extremely busy days.

The authorities were able to understand the busy days in advance and make arrangements through the booking information. Such measures ensured smooth darshan for the devotees. Devotees can have darshan until the nada closes on the night of the 19th of this month. The Thiruvabharana pedakam will be brought back on the morning of the 20th. The Mandala-Makaravilakku festival pilgrimage will conclude with the closing of the nada then after the Royal Representative of Pandalam Maharaja has paid his respects. It is also a very good thing that the state government has approved two layout plans worth Rs. 1033.62 crore for the development of Sabarimala during the Mandala Kalam itself. There is no doubt that if this master plan is implemented in a timely manner, it will become a great asset in solving the financial crisis of Kerala.