PATHANAMTHITTA: With the Makaravilakku festival and Makarajyothi darshan just days away, Sabarimala is witnessing an unabated flow of pilgrims, prompting authorities to intensify crowd-management and safety measures at the hill shrine and along the trekking routes.
Long queues were seen at Sannidhanam and Pampa on Thursday as devotees continued to arrive in large numbers. Officials said restrictions will be further tightened in the coming days to ensure smooth movement and safety.
Travancore Devaswom Board president K Jayakumar said more than 1 lakh devotees, including 35,000 with virtual queue bookings, are expected to arrive for the Makarajyothi darshan, and necessary facilities have been arranged. Preparations at Sannidhanam and Pampa were reviewed by Devaswom Board officials and department heads.
Free food will be distributed to pilgrims arriving for the festival at Pandithavalam and Parnasala, Devaswom executive officer O G Biju said. Food parcels will be distributed on January 13 afternoon and night, and on January 14 three times a day. Cooking will not be permitted at these locations. Light refreshments and drinking water will be provided to all pilgrims staying at Sannidhanam.
Around 15 designated locations have been arranged at Sannidhanam for witnessing the Makarajyothi, including the Thirumuttam, Malikappuram, Annadhana Mandapam, Pandithavalam, hotel complex premises, Darshan Complex, BSNL office area, Jyothi Nagar and forest office premises.