Sabarimala seasons kicks off on a positive note

Temple witnesses a heavy turnout of pilgrims. The rush shows no signs of abating, as the virtual queue slots are fully booked until November 30

The annual pilgrimage in the Sabarimala temple has begun on a positive note for the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) with the hillock forest shrine witnessing a heavy turnout of pilgrims .

As per official estimates, 83,429 pilgrims visited the shrine since it opened on Friday afternoon. The rush shows no signs of abating, as the virtual queue slots are fully booked until November 30.

On Saturday alone, 54,615 pilgrims trekked up the hill till 5 p.m. Of these, 39,038 devotees had pre-booked slots through the virtual queue system, while 4,535 entered through spot bookings. An additional 11,042 devotees, who had reserved slots for different dates, also made the trek during the day. The temple is accommodating an average of 3,000 darshans per hour.

Devaswom Minister V.N. Vasavan, who conducted a final review of the arrangements on Saturday morning, said that 26,942 pilgrims reached the temple on Friday after booking appointments through the virtual queue system, while 1,872 devotees used spot bookings. The police, according to him, are managing a flow of 80 devotees per minute through the sacred 18 Holy Steps.

Elaborate arrangements

The TDB has made elaborate arrangements to accommodate the daily influx of pilgrims. At Nilakcal, a 17,000-square-foot pandal has been set up, providing shelter for 2,000 devotees. Another 20,000-square-foot pandal at Pampa can accommodate 3,000 people at a time.

Meanwhile, a team of 125 medical doctors has come together to provide free medical care to Ayyappa devotees visiting the Sabarimala this pilgrimage season. Operating with the special approval of the government and the High Court, these volunteer doctors are working in tandem with the Health department at the government hospital in the Sannidhanam, ensuring round-the-clock care for the devotees.

The team, named `Devotees Doctors of Sabarimala,’ comprises medical professionals from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Bound by their devotion and a common goal, they organised themselves through a WhatsApp group under the leadership of R. Ramanarayanan, a neurosurgeon.

“Our team consists of specialists in cardiology, general medicine, orthopedics, neurology, and other critical disciplines,” said Dr. Ramanarayanan. He explained that the doctors in the team, equipped with advanced medical tools, would work in different shifts till the Makaravilakku festival to ensure emergency medical intervention in the pilgrimage zone.

The initiative formally kicked off on Saturday with Dr. Ramanarayanan checking the blood pressure of the Devaswom Minister.

Published - November 16, 2024 07:35 pm IST