Special queue for children and elderly women opened at Sabarimala

Devotees in this queue can approach the temple directly after ascending the 18 holy steps, bypassing the flyover.

In a bid to address the hardships faced by devotees queuing for darshan at the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple, the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) has introduced a special queue for children, elderly women, and differently abled individuals.

According to TDB president P.S. Prasanth, a dedicated row has been arranged for these devotees in Valiya Nadapanthal on the hilltop. Devotees in this queue can approach the temple directly after ascending the 18 holy steps, bypassing the flyover. An adult can also accompany the child pilgrim for support.

Mr. Prasanth also noted that reducing the duty time of police personnel stationed at the 18 holy steps from 20 minutes to 15 minutes has enhanced efficiency. “At least 80 devotees pass through the 18 steps in a minute. With the virtual queue system regulating the flow, there’s no crowding along the trekking path from Pampa too,” he explained.

KSRTC services

The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) has ramped up its operations for the pilgrimage season. In the first phase, 383 buses have been deployed for the Nilackal-Pampa chain service, with 192 buses already stationed at Nilackal. This number will rise to 550 buses in the second phase.

Officials said that a bus is operated every minute, and services are increased based on the influx of devotees. On Saturday alone, the KSRTC operated over 1,000 services on this route. Additionally, more than 200 long-distance services connect Pampa with various parts of the State.

The State carrier has stationed 104 staff at Pampa to coordinate its Sabarimala services, alongside four crew members per bus. Three maintenance vehicles too have been deployed for seamless functioning.

Meanwhile, the temple town of Erumely in Kottayam has transformed into a bustling hub of activity with the pilgrims starting to pour in. Over 500 police personnel have been deployed to ensure the safety of Sabarimala pilgrims. To tackle the persistent issue of waste management, authorities have introduced a mobile septage unit capable of processing 6,000 litters of waste per hour.

Published - November 17, 2024 06:26 pm IST