Show kindness to Sabarimala pilgrims

Travancore Devaswom Board knows that the rush at Sabarimala will increase after two weeks of the start of the pilgrimage season. Unfortunately, the authorities have failed to control the rising rush at Sabarimala. It is a routine now to claim, after seeing the year’s rush at Sabarimala, that the next year there would be better facilities. However, the plight of the devotees seems never ending. The devotees are ready to suffer any privations and lack of facilities if they could just get a glimpse of Lord Ayyappa.

In today’s world, there are ways to manage the pilgrimage and provide smooth darshan. At Tirupati, which is the world’s biggest pilgrim center, the management of the crowds are done very professionally and without any trouble for the devotees. From the time that the Sabarimala rush was becoming uncontrollable, we have been hearing that the Tirupati model must be experimented here. Many groups went to Tirupati many times and studied the system followed there.

During the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday devotees from all sides thronged Sabarimala, making it literally suffocating. When uncontrolled number of devotees reached the holy site, all security measures were thrown to the winds. The elderly and children suffered a lot in the huge rush.

When the police force failed, the devotees had to wait twelve to fifteen hours from the temple all the way down to Pamba. This situation was brought about by the inability of the authorities to foresee this situation before hand and the lack of concern for the devotees.

The best way to control the devotees going to Sabarimala is Virtual Queue system. It was proven in years before the Covid. Virtual Queue system is operational now also. Maybe because authorities have no clue about the maximum number of devotees that can be send to the temple, that devotees are being allowed to go from Pamba.

A temporary solution to the rush is not what is needed at Sabarimala. Only a permanent system can help pilgrims get darshan without getting hurt during rush times. For the advice of experts in these matters must be sought and carried out. Without keeping the devotees, including the elderly and children, waiting for 10-15 hours, a system for their smooth darshan must be constituted.

For that, the government too must work hard along with the Devaswom Board. There is no point in holding the routine two or three review meetings before the start of the pilgrimage.

Currently, the darshan timing is from 3 am to 11 pm. With the increase in the flow of devotees, the time has been extended till 11.30 pm. Now this is also not sufficient. It must be seen if the timing can be extended further. Even the deity too doesn’t wish to keep his devotees waiting for hours. It must also be examined that more days for darshan is provided during the monthly pooja.