Team Blitz India
Authorities have decided to limit the online booking for a spot in the queue for the annual pilgrimage to Sabarimala temple to 80,000 per day to control the surging crowd of devotees. The limit brings down the daily virtual queue by 10,000.
The decision was taken as a measure to prevent any untoward incidents. The police have been struggling to control the heavy rush of pilgrims thronging the Sabarimala temple.
Earlier, security personnel present in the vicinity failed to control the crowd waiting in queues for long hours to get a darshan of Lord Ayyappa. Pilgrims started to break fences and take shortcuts through forest paths, rendering the queue system ineffective.
The measure was taken following hectic parleys between Kerala’s Devaswom Minister K Radhakrishnan and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) President PS Prasanth on December 9.
The talks were held in view of the heavy rush of pilgrims, especially from neighbouring states, since the previous night.
However, the pilgrims can continue to make spot bookings – which is mandatory – at predesignated locations as it was earlier. Authorities have assured the availability of basic amenities for devotees saying that all arrangements have been made at Nilackal, Pampa, and Sannidhanam.
