PATHANAMTHITTA: The footfall of pilgrims at Sabarimala during the Mandala-Makaravilakku season is nearing the 13-lakh mark. Officials said that around 12,47,954 devotees had darshan between November 16 and 7pm on November 30. On Sunday alone, 50,264 pilgrims trekked to the shrine between 12am and 7pm.
Officials added that nearly 15% of pilgrims who had secured virtual-queue bookings did not show up, while the cap on spot booking continues to be limited to 5,000.
On Sunday, even at 5 am, the valiyanadapandal at the Sannidhanam was almost empty. There were no queues at the 18 Holy steps, and pilgrims arriving from Pampa were able to climb and have darshan without waiting. During the 7.30am usha pooja, the climb was regulated for about half an hour, but crowd pressure remained minimal throughout.
All virtual-queue slots up to December 27 have already been booked, and the booking page now shows only red status, indicating full occupancy. No further virtual-queue slots are available until the mandala season concludes. As per a High Court directive, spot booking is permitted only after assessing the crowd situation each day, and the service is offered solely at Nilakkal.
The spot booking starts at midnight and is usually closed within an hour. The revised policy — which does not guarantee entry for pilgrims arriving with irumudi without prior booking — has led to confusion among traditional devotees who previously walked straight up without being turned away.
However, officials point out that the new restriction has significantly helped reduce crowd density at the Sannidhanam.