KOCHI: Kerala High Court has held that the continued occupation of Sunil Kumar alias Sunil Swami, an exporter hailing from Kollam, at Room No. 401 of Sahyadri Pilgrim Centre, Sabarimala, for the past 10 years, and on all days when the temple remains open for monthly poojas and Mandala-Makaravilakku festival season is legally impermissible.
A Division Bench headed by Justice Anil K Narendran said Sunil’s continued presence in front of the Sanctum Sanctorum for all poojas is also impermissible.
His entry to Sabarimala shall be subject to the regulations concerning Virtual-Q and his stay at Sabarimala shall not be for more period than permitted as per the donor agreement.
The government informed that Sunil, who is following the path of a ‘Sanyasi’, is an exporter by profession.
The court noted that Sunil books poojas, provides articles for pooja and nivedyam, and maintains the gosala as offerings.
CYBER CELL LAUNCHES SABARIMALA-POLICE GUIDE
To ensure ease of pilgrimage for devotees, the District Police Cyber Cell has launched a portal titled Sabarimala-Police Guide. Devotees can access the guide, prepared in English, by scanning a QR code. The portal comprises all important information, including the dos and don’ts at Sannidhanam and other instructions, required for the pilgrims.
Virtual booking limited to 70k
Officials have announced that spot bookings for Sabarimala darshan can accommodate up to 20,000 pilgrims, while virtual booking remains capped at 70,000. Travancore Devaswom Board president P S Prashanth said the limit on virtual bookings is set to ensure a smooth darshan for pilgrims. He noted that around 10,000 people are consistently absent from the virtual queue, underscoring the need to keep online bookings within the 70,000 threshold to avoid crowding.