The annual Sabarimala pilgrimage season starts on November 16 and what comes to mind is the unprecedented chaos at the hill shrine during the last season. The temple and the paths leading to it had witnessed dangerous crowding and utter disarray. Many devotees had to return without having a darshan owing to the unmanageable situation there. Poor crowd management, inadequate arrangements to transport pilgrims, deployment of police personnel inexperienced in handling crowds, and a lack of coordination between police and employees of the Travancore Devaswom, which manages the temple, were evident during the initial days of the pilgrimage. Though the situation was brought under control in the later stages, the experience has left a bitter taste and there are apprehensions about how this season will proceed.
On their part, the Kerala government and the Travancore Devaswom Board started preparations for the pilgrimage months earlier this time around and have put in place some new crowd control measures. While the decision to restrict the number of pilgrims allowed per day to 80,000 (70,000 through online registrations and 10,000 through spot bookings) and insist on them carrying Aadhaar cards could be effective in checking the flow, engagement of retired police and fire force men in addition to 13,000-odd police personnel could lend expertise and dexterity to the teams handling crowds. A team of 1,000 has been deployed for sanitation duties. All three entry points to the shrine will have spot-booking facilities. Digital displays have been installed at various points to monitor the flow of devotees in real time. Parking facilities at Nilackal have been expanded to accommodate 10,000 vehicles, an increase from the last season’s 7,500. In another welcome move, the temple board has introduced insurance coverage for all devotees.
While efforts are commendable, a lot needs to be done if the temple has to be made fully equipped to handle the rush. It needs better facilities and development in sync with the area’s eco-sensitive nature. The government’s promise is that no devotee will have to go back without darshan. That’s easier said than done, but the authorities now have the responsibility of ensuring that, having, understandably, learnt from mistakes. The two-month-long Mandala-Makaravilakku season is the busiest at the hill shrine. What’s important is to monitor the situation continuously and make sure that it never goes out of control. Equally important is to handle the crowds with sensitivity. The authorities cannot afford missteps, and any lapse could have serious consequences.