Thiruvananthapuram: Despite discontinuing the spot booking facility for Sabarimala pilgrimage devotees, Kerala Devaswom Minister V N Vasavan assured on Sunday that every devotee visiting the Lord Ayyappa temple during the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season will have the opportunity to receive 'darshan.' The decision followed a day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) threatened to protest if the government moved forward with its plan to end spot booking and allow darshan only through the virtual queue system.

In the virtual queue system, pilgrims can book their darshan tickets and prasadam online on the Sabarimala temple's official website. In the spot booking system, pilgrims can reserve their darshan slots at specific centres set up by the Devaswom Board. The Congress-led UDF opposition has also urged the government to keep spot booking alongside the virtual queue system, noting that not all devotees may be comfortable with technology.

Vasavan said that the president of the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the apex body that manages the Sabarimala Temple, had recently assured that all pilgrims who come to the temple will get 'darshan' of Lord Ayyappa. The minister also said that while spot booking at Sabarimala was not going to be allowed, Akshaya centres will be set up at 'edathavalams' (rest or waiting areas on the route to the temple), for booking slots for the pilgrims. "So, no one who comes for the pilgrimage after following all the rituals will be denied the opportunity of darshan," Vasavan said.

The minister added that the government and the TDB have set a daily limit of 80,000 pilgrims to ensure a smooth and safe pilgrimage experience. BJP state president K Surendran warned that party members would go to the Lord Ayyappa temple without online booking and protest if blocked. Additionally, the CPI, the second-largest partner in the ruling LDF coalition, also suggested allowing spot booking alongside the virtual queue system.