Pathanamthitta: Travancore Devaswom Board President P S Prasanth said 10,000 devotees visiting Sabarimala will be allowed darshan through real-time online booking. Counters will be arranged at Satram (Vandiperiyar), Erumeli, and Pampa. In a press meet on Thursday, he said that all devotees should carry a copy of their Aadhaar card.
A total of 80,000 pilgrims will have darshan facilities in a day, including 70,000 through virtual queue booking. The Devaswom Board will also provide accidental death insurance of Rs 5 lakh to all who book for darshan.
Additional parking facilities for 2000 vehicles will be provided at Nilakkal, and five new pavements (three permanent, two temporary) will be completed at Pampa. About 100 people will be assigned on a daily wage basis to count the coins received as tokens. The Aravana currently has 6 lakh tin reserves, which will be increased to 45 lakh by the season.
Other arrangements
Minister of Transport K B Ganesh Kumar announced that a combined system for booking KSRTC tickets along with virtual queue reservations will be implemented for devotees visiting the temple. The decision was made during a meeting to review preparations for the upcoming Mandala season.
The system is arranged in a way that the website for booking tickets for darshan will have a link to buy KSRTC tickets as well. Groups of not less than 40 people can book seats 10 days in advance, and if the passenger is within 10 km of the station, the bus will pick up the devotees.
A Fastag system will be introduced at the Nilakkal toll. In the first phase, 383 buses will be in service, and 550 buses in the second phase. 200 buses will pass through the Nilakkal-Pampa road within half-minute intervals. Details of all vehicles arriving at Sabarimala will be recorded.
If a sufficient number of passengers board the bus from Pampa, the vehicle will return directly to the destination without going to Nilakkal. Almost 20 motor vehicle department squads will cover a distance of 250 km. Promo videos will be made in six languages to create awareness among drivers for safe travel. Reflectors will be installed in the dangerous areas of Valakkuvanji and Mannarakulanji.
Ranni MLA Pramod Narayan, Collector S Prem Krishnan, Sabarimala ADM Arun S Nair, District Panchayat President Raji P Rajappan, District Police Chief V G Vinod Kumar, and other various department officials were present for the review meeting.
