SABARIMALA: The hill shrine in Sabarimala saw a massive influx of pilgrims on Saturday, marking the beginning of the two-month-long pilgrimage season. Pilgrims began arriving at the hill shrine after the temple doors opened on Friday for the annual pilgrimage on the first day of the Malayalam month of Vrischikam.
By 5 pm on Saturday, 83,429 pilgrims had visited Sabarimala, including 39,038 who booked darshan online and 4,535 who used spot booking. The temple saw around 54,615 visitors between midnight on Friday and 5 pm on Saturday, with about 3,000 pilgrims getting darshan per hour.
Long queues formed early, with many pilgrims waiting since 3 am for the opening of the sanctum sanctorum, which was officiated by Thanthri Kandararu Rajeevaru.
Devaswom Board officials, including president P S Prashant, were also present during the morning darshan.
In a special ritual, Kalabhabhishekam was performed at 9 am, concluding with a brahmakalasha pooja and a procession around the sreekovil.
Pilgrimage management, facilities
Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan reported that 30,000 pilgrims had booked darshan online on Friday, with 26,942 successfully completing their prayers.
A total of 70,000 devotees can be accommodated daily through the virtual queue system. The police have been efficient in managing crowds, handling around 80 pilgrims per minute.
To accommodate the growing number of pilgrims, authorities have stocked 40 lakh tins of aravana, a popular offering. New “German Pandal” shelters have been set up at Nilakkal and Pampa to provide resting spaces for pilgrims. The Nilakkal pandal can house 2,000 people, while the Pampa pandal can accommodate 3,000.
Health, other facilities
Health services have been strengthened with a team of over 100 volunteer doctors stationed at the Sannidhanam Hospital and nearby district hospitals. Renovated guest houses at Pampa and Sannidhanam are also ready to host pilgrims.
The pilgrimage continues with a series of rituals throughout the day, including usha pooja, ucha pooja, and deeparadhana.