THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major decision aimed at crowd control at Sabarimala, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has decided to do away with spot booking. Instead, booking through virtual queue will be allowed. It has also been decided to permit not more than 80,000 pilgrims to the hill shrine a day.
TDB president P S Prasanth told TNIE that the decisions were taken in view of difficulties faced by devotees during the last pilgrimage season. Going by the new decisions, only those who book through the virtual queue system can visit the temple. The bookings will start three months before the commencement of the pilgrimage season.
In another significant move, the board decided not to appoint people from other states for Sabarimala duty on a daily wage basis.
Pre-paid system for dolly services
Instead, the TDB will appoint a task force of 5,000 people in uniform for duty to assist pilgrims. It has also been decided to implement a pre-paid system for dolly services.The decisions were taken during the review meeting chaired by the TDB president on Saturday. In the backdrop of a woman’s death following suspected ingestion of the juice of Arali leaf and flower, the TDB has decided to wait for scientific examination reports before taking a call on continued use of Arali flower in temples under the board. The autopsy report and the internal organ examination report of the deceased are awaited. “If the reports prove that the cause of death was juice of Arali flower, then the board will stop its use in all temples under the board,” said TDB president Prasanth.