10-15 hour waits at sacred steps many return post-Pampa ghee offering without darshan, central forces deployed, spot bookings restricted.
Water scarcity, queue collapses at Nilakkal emergency cath lab at Pathanamthitta, multilingual boards, extended sessions.
HC upholds forest route delay for wildlife safety.
Authorities Grapple With Overwhelming Pilgrim Surge In Sabrimila
Mandalam-Makaravilku season kicks off with 10-15 hour waits at sacred steps, prompting central forces deployment and spot booking curbs
Summary
The annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season at the Sabarimala Ayyappa Temple has commenced on a chaotic note, with authorities struggling to manage a massive influx of devotees leading to dangerously high crowd levels, extended darshan hours, and reports of pilgrims abandoning their journeys midway. The Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president K Jayakumar described the situation as "crossing dangerous levels," with many breaking queues to rush the sanctum, prompting the deployment of central forces and restrictions on spot bookings to cap daily footfall at 90,000—70,000 via virtual queues and 20,000 on-site. The season, running from November 16, 2025, to January 20, 2026, has already seen over 1 lakh pilgrims on peak days, evoking fears of a repeat of the 2011 stampede that killed over 100.
Pilgrims have endured waits of 10 to 15 hours at the 18 sacred steps (Pathinettam Padi) to reach the sanctum sanctorum, exacerbated by slowed flows and inadequate facilities at transit hubs like Nilakkal, where insufficient barricades and KSRTC shuttles have led to jostling and confusion. Ground reports highlight water scarcity, exhausted devotees collapsing in queues, and several returning home after only offering ghee at Pampa base camp without darshan. The Kerala Health Department issued advisories against amoebic meningoencephalitis risks during Pamba River dips, urging nose clips to prevent water entry into nostrils, while chlorination of temple ponds was mandated.
The Kerala High Court, in a ruling on November 17, upheld regulatory controls on the traditional forest route (Kanana Patha) through the Periyar Tiger Reserve, denying an early opening plea to prioritize pilgrim safety and wildlife conservation, access limited to the first day per the Tiger Conservation Plan, with guidelines via the "Ayyan" app. This decision, harmonizing ecological integrity with spiritual philosophy, cited the 2011 tragedy as justification for e-pass systems. Preparations at base camps like Erumely, Chengannur, and Pandalam remain incomplete, with 17 key roads and 54 connectors in disrepair despite late government interventions. Traffic snarls at stopovers like Kumily persist, with hours-long blocks threatening local businesses and prompting calls for alternative routes and better signage.
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