PATHANAMTHITTA: Sabarimala witnessed a huge turnout, doubling last year’s count of pilgrims within 9 days of its opening for the Mandalam-Makaravilakku season, while the revenue touched a little over Rs 41 crore. Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president P S Prashanth said the temple’s income for the first nine days of the season has reached Rs 41.64 crore, an increase of Rs 13.37 crore as compared to the same period last year.
The number of pilgrims visiting the temple until Saturday stood at approximately 6.12 lakh. Among the key offerings, the sale of aravana fetched Rs 17.71 crore, while appam sales amounted to Rs 2.21 crore, he said during a press meeting at the Sannidhanam Devaswom Board Guest House.
Highlighting the overwhelming response to spot booking centres at Erumely, Pampa and Sathram, Prashanth said that no devotee will miss the opportunity for darshan of Lord Ayyappa as the Devaswom Board has implemented real-time online booking at Pampa, allowing all those who present a copy of their Aadhaar card to secure their spots.
The TDB president also urged devotees to strictly adhere to the directive issued by Tantri Kandararu Rajeevaru, which prohibits carrying plastic materials in their Irumudikettu.
Review meeting held
A review meeting was held at the Devaswom Guest House Conference Hall under the chairmanship of Sannidhanam ADM Arun S Nair to assess the coordination of various government departments at the hill shrine. The meeting focused on ensuring arrangements for a safe and smooth pilgrimage and concluded that all preparations were satisfactory.
The meeting was attended by Sabarimala police special officer K E Baiju, Sabarimala executive officer Murari Babu and officials from multiple departments, including the Rapid Action Force, Excise, Fire Force, KSEB and Food Security.
KSEB lights up Sabarimala
The KSEB has taken all necessary precautions to ensure uninterrupted electricity at the hill shrine throughout the season. Officials have been deployed on duty around the clock in Sannidhanam, Pampa and Nilakkal.
This year, LED lights have been installed all over the areas to enhance visibility and reduce the risk of malfunction. Fully insulating wiring has also been used from Nilakkal to Sannidhanam to prevent electrical accidents, including those caused by wild animals. The KSEB has deployed 30 officials for 24-hour duty and arranged an EV charging station.