SABARIMALA: With the daily average of 65,000 pilgrims visiting the Sabarimala shrine after the temple opened, the Travancore Devaswom Board is considering measures to enhance the convenience of devotees. Plans are underway to increase virtual queue bookings to 80,000 and maintain spot booking at 10,000 daily. The Board also aims to offer additional spot booking opportunities if virtual queue slots remain unfilled.

Currently, 80,000 pilgrims are permitted to visit the shrine daily, including 70,000 through virtual queue booking and 10,000 via spot booking. However, a lower-than-expected turnout has resulted in financial losses for the Board, with no significant increase in the sales of ‘appam’, ‘aravana’ and other offerings.

Thanks to measures such as expediting the movement of devotees through the sacred 18th step and extending darshan timings, pilgrims are able to have a smooth and hassle-free darshan experience. Despite these improvements, the anticipated number of visitors has not materialized.

The highest recorded number of pilgrims accessing the shrine through spot booking since the beginning of this pilgrimage season is 5,982. The Board remains committed to ensuring that maximum devotees have the opportunity for darshan. To this end, spot booking options will remain available even for those unable to secure a slot in the virtual queue.

Adv A Ajikumar, Member of the Travancore Devaswom Board, emphasized the efforts to accommodate more devotees and enhance their pilgrimage experience.