As part of the Mandala Makaravilakku festival, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has issued restrictions on daily tickets for the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple during peak times in order to manage the large influx of visitors. The daily devotee count will be limited on December 25-26, 2024, and January 12-14, 2025.
According to reports, the TDB has completed preparations for the Mandala Puja and the “Thanka Anki” procession to ensure the crowd management and avoid any untoward incidents. The Makaravilakku celebration which draws thousands of devotees to watch the sacred Makara Jyothi will witness cap on devotees.
On December 25, when the ceremonial procession of the “Thanka Anki” (golden attire) for the Mandala Puja take place, a maximum of 54,000 devotees will be permitted to visit the shrine. The temple will close the next day after the puja with the daily cap raised to 60,000. The temple will reopen on December 30 for the Makaravilakku festival.
For January 12-14, the TDB has set stricter limits allowing 60,000 pilgrims on January 12, 50,000 on January 13 and 40,000 on January 14, the day of the Makara Jyothi, as per a report on Manorama. Spot booking facilities are expected to be suspended during these restricted days, impacting the 20,000 daily devotees who currently rely on this system.
Sabarimala Records Highest Pilgrim Turnout
The Sabarimala temple has already seen an increase in devotees ahead of the festival. On December 19, the temple saw the greatest turnout of the season, with 96,007 pilgrims. Of the total, 70,000 used the virtual queue, while 22,121 made spot bookings. In addition, 3,016 devotees arrived at the shrine via Pulmedu, and 504 via the Erumeli forest route.
From November 15 to December 19, a total of 4,46,130 devotees visited the shrine using the spot booking system, according to official data. Despite the heavy turnout, authorities ensured smooth darshan with police and temple staff efficiently managing the queues.
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