THRISSUR : The Guruvayur Devaswom has decided to introduce the virtual queue system for darshan at the Sree Krishna Temple on all days from November 1, expanding the facility from the current three days to a week. Online bookings for the following month will open on the 25th of every month.
According to devaswom chairman A V Gopinath and administrator S Harigopal, a single booking can accommodate between one and six devotees. The devaswom has also decided to levy a booking fee of `25 for each reservation.
The virtual queue system is currently available only on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The decision to extend it to all days was taken after the devaswom found that online bookings were helping devotees access darshan in a more organised manner.
On regular days, including public holidays, virtual queue darshan will be available in eight slots, accommodating a total of 2,400 devotees. Six slots will operate between 7am and 1pm, while two additional slots will be available in the evening. On days when the temple observes udayasthamana pooja, the virtual queue facility will be restricted to the evening. Two slots, at 4pm and 5pm, will accommodate a total of 600 devotees on such days.
Fee aims to reduce no-shows
The decision to introduce a booking fee follows concerns that many devotees reserve virtual queue slots but fail to turn up for darshan. The `25 fee will apply to each booking, covering up to six devotees, rather than being charged separately for every person. The devaswom is also considering introducing online booking for nirmalya darshan. The proposal is under consideration and a decision is yet to be announced.
In another move towards digitising its services, the next devaswom managing committee is expected to take a decision on introducing online booking for auditoriums used for cultural programmes, the chairman said.