With the annual pilgrimage season nearing its culmination, the Kerala government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) have announced that extensive preparations are in place for the Makaravilakku festival at the Sabarimala hill shrine. Kerala Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan on Tuesday said all necessary arrangements had been completed to ensure a smooth, safe, and orderly conduct of the festival, which draws lakhs of devotees from across the country.

Addressing a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram after a high-level review meeting, the minister said that strict crowd management measures would be enforced in view of the heavy rush expected during the peak days of the festival. The meeting was attended by senior officials of the Devaswom department, the police, and the Travancore Devaswom Board, including its president K Jayakumar.

Pilgrim Entry Restricted on Festival Day

According to Vasavan, the entry of pilgrims to Sabarimala will be restricted to 35,000 devotees on January 14, the day of Makaravilakku. Of this total, 30,000 pilgrims will be allowed entry through the virtual queue system, which has become the primary mechanism for regulating pilgrim flow to the shrine in recent years.

“The restriction is aimed at ensuring the safety and convenience of pilgrims during the peak day of the festival,” the minister said, adding that crowd control was a key priority given the challenging terrain and the limited space available at the hill shrine.

On January 13, the day preceding Makaravilakku, a slightly higher number of pilgrims—up to 40,000—will be permitted. Of these, 35,000 devotees will be allowed entry through advance virtual queue booking, while the remaining slots will be allocated through limited spot booking.

For the days leading up to January 13, Vasavan said the virtual queue system would allow up to 70,000 pilgrims per day, similar to the arrangements in place on normal pilgrimage days during the season.

Spot Booking Limited

In addition to the virtual queue system, a limited number of pilgrims will be allowed entry through spot booking. Vasavan said that spot booking would be capped at 5,000 pilgrims per day throughout the Makaravilakku period.

Officials said this cap was necessary to prevent overcrowding and to ensure that the infrastructure at Sabarimala, including pathways, resting areas, and sanitation facilities, is not overstretched. The minister urged pilgrims to plan their visits well in advance and rely primarily on the virtual queue system.

Fully Online Room Booking at Sannidhanam

Travancore Devaswom Board president K Jayakumar announced a major change in accommodation arrangements at the Sannidhanam, the temple complex at the hilltop. From January 10 onwards, booking of rooms at the Sannidhanam will be made entirely online.

Jayakumar said rooms would be allotted only to devotees who make bookings using valid photo identity cards of their own and of their accompanying persons. “This decision has been taken to curb the malpractice of reselling rooms at exorbitant prices after advance booking,” he said.

In previous years, there had been complaints of middlemen and unauthorised agents exploiting the high demand for accommodation by reselling bookings at inflated rates. The new system, officials said, would improve transparency and ensure that genuine pilgrims benefit from the facilities provided by the Devaswom Board.

Photo-Embedded Passes for Makaravilakku Viewing

To prevent the misuse or transfer of passes for viewing the Makaravilakku from the temple premises, the Devaswom Board has decided to issue photo-embedded passes this year. These passes will carry the photograph of the devotee and will not be transferable.

Officials said the move was aimed at preventing unauthorised entry and ensuring that only those who have legitimately obtained passes are allowed access to designated viewing areas. Given the massive crowds that gather to witness the sacred appearance of the Makaravilakku, such measures are considered essential for crowd control and security.

Fire Safety and Food Arrangements

Minister Vasavan also addressed safety concerns related to devotees who arrive early for the festival and stay in temporary shelters around the Sabarimala premises. He advised pilgrims not to cook food on their own in these shelters, citing serious fire safety risks.

“Cooking in temporary shelters poses a danger, especially in crowded areas. We have asked devotees to avoid it entirely,” the minister said. To ensure that pilgrims are not inconvenienced, he added that food would be arranged by the Devaswom Board for those staying in such shelters.

Officials said arrangements were being made to supply adequate quantities of food and drinking water, particularly during the peak days, so that devotees would not need to depend on unsafe alternatives.

Preparations Along the Thiruvabharanam Route

Special arrangements are also being made along the route of the Thiruvabharanam procession, a key ritual associated with the Makaravilakku festival. The Thiruvabharanam, comprising sacred ornaments of Lord Ayyappa, is carried in a ceremonial procession from Pandalam to Sabarimala.

Vasavan said trees and overhanging branches along the procession route would be cleared with the assistance of the Forest Department to ensure the smooth and uninterrupted passage of the procession. Officials have been instructed to complete this work well in advance to avoid last-minute disruptions.

Rituals at Erumeli

The minister said preparations were also underway at Erumeli, an important pilgrimage centre associated with the Sabarimala yatra. The Chandanakkudam procession will be held at Erumeli on January 10, followed by the Pettathullal ritual on January 11.

Both rituals attract large numbers of devotees and are considered integral to the pilgrimage tradition. Vasavan said adequate arrangements had been made for crowd control, sanitation, medical assistance, and traffic management at Erumeli during these events.

Culmination of the Pilgrimage Season

The Makaravilakku festival marks the conclusion of the over two-and-a-half-month-long annual pilgrimage season at Sabarimala, which begins in mid-November with the Mandala season. During this period, millions of devotees undertake the arduous journey to the hill shrine to offer prayers to Lord Ayyappa.

Officials said the experience gained during the Mandala season had been taken into account while finalising arrangements for Makaravilakku. Additional police personnel, medical teams, and volunteers have been deployed, and coordination among various departments has been strengthened to handle the expected surge in pilgrim numbers.

Minister Vasavan urged devotees to cooperate with authorities and strictly follow guidelines issued by the Devaswom Board and the police. “The arrangements have been made keeping the safety and convenience of pilgrims in mind. We seek the cooperation of all devotees to ensure a peaceful and spiritually fulfilling Makaravilakku,” he said.

With heightened security, tighter digital controls, and extensive logistical planning, Sabarimala is now set to witness the climactic rituals of the pilgrimage season, as devotees gather to mark one of the most significant events in the temple’s annual calendar.