Sabarimala today: Puja timings; Devaswom board opens new rest centre for women at Pamba

Darshan Timings (December 16, Monday)
Opening time
Morning 3 am to 1 pm
Evening 3 pm to 11 pm
Pooja Timings
Neyyabhishekam 3.30 am
Ushapuja 7.30 am
Uchapuja 12.30 pm
Deeparadhana 6.30 pm
Athazhapuja 9.30 pm
Harivarasanam 11 pm

Rest centre for women
A new rest centre has been opened at Pamba for the women who accompany the devotees. Devaswom Board president PS Prashant inaugurated the rest centre that offers safe and comfortable accommodation facilities for women. The 100 sqft building near the Pamba Ganapati temple has been turned into a rest centre that can accommodate up to 50 women at a time. The air-conditioned building has resting rooms, feeding room and toilet blocks too. Devotees have been demanding a rest centre for women at Pamba for years. Mothers of the babies who come for the choroonu (first rice feeding) ceremony at Sabarimala can utilise this facility.

Special gate for children and elderly 
To ensure a seamless and comfortable visit for Malikappurams (girl children), elderly devotees, and those with disabilities, the Travancore Devaswom Board has introduced a special gate at Sabarimala. Located near the Sreekovil (sanctum sanctorum), this dedicated gate allows these devotees to access the first row of the queue, enabling them to perform Darshan without undue difficulty. Child devotees are permitted to be accompanied by an adult guardian, ensuring their safety and comfort. This new arrangement is designed to prevent young devotees from enduring long waits in queues after the arduous climb from Pampa. Previously, a separate queue was arranged from the Valiya Nadapanthal, near Sannidhanam, allowing children and elderly devotees to directly reach the sacred 18 holy steps. Till 7 PM on Thursday, as many as 60,785 devotees visited the temple and of them 10,921 made their way through spot booking.

Physiotherapy for devotees and staff
At Sabaripeedam and Sannidhanam, physiotherapy centres have been set up for devotees and others. You can avail the facility at the no. 7 emergency medical centre at Sabaripeedam and at the big 'nadappandal' at Sannidhanam. They are set up by the Indian Association of Physiotherapist and Pathanamthitta Rehabilitation Palliative Care Centre, in association with the Devaswom Board. There are three physio therapists at Sabaripeedam and 1 at Sannidhanam. Policemen, dolly labourers and cleaning staff can also take their help.

KSRTC offers extended ticket validity
KSRTC has announced it will extend the validity of online tickets from Pampa to other destinations to 24 hours after the departure of the bus you have booked. Therefore, if you have missed a particular bus, you can board another bus of the same category to the same destination. But, if it's a group booking in which individuals travel on separate buses, they must show their ID cards before boarding the bus.

Ayyan 2.0 app for travel guidance
The Forest Department has launched the updated version of its Sabarimala app for devotees, as 'Ayyan 2.0.' In six languages - Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada and Telugu, it will help pilgrims zero-in-on a route, select their arrival date, pre-arrange a transit point (Edathavalam), offer real-time route maps, crowd status updates and event timings. It's available both on Android and iOS platforms.

Forest routes to reach Sabarimala temple
There are two traditional 'kaananapaatha' or trekking routes to the temple:

1) The Erumeli - Perurthodu - Koikakkalkavu - Azhutakadav- Karimala - Cherianavattam - Valianavattam route to reach Pamba. After 4 pm, devotees are not allowed this route.

2) Vandiperiyar - Sathram - Pullumedu route. There will be checks by the Forest Department and Police. There is also a virtual queue booking facility here. The Sathram to temple distance is about 12 km. Please note the 'Pullumedu' shown on Google Maps can be another place with the same name near Ayyappankovil panchayat in the region. The right path is in the Kumily-Kuttikkanam direction. Do not take the Aanavilasam route.

Swami chatbot to assist devotees
Looking for some real-time information like darshan timings, services, safety measures and nearby temples of Sabarimala? All you need to do is check it with Swami Chatbot, and you will instantly have your information on your Whatsapp. Just text the number 6238008000 on your Whatsapp, and it will answer your questions in a true, friendly Sabarimala devotee style. The service is available in six languages - English, Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada. It has already interacted with over 10,000 users and assisted over 20 emergencies, as per reports. The Pathanamthitta district administration developed it.

Spot booking
Spot booking facilities have been launched to ensure a comfortable darshan for the pilgrims. Devotees flying into Kochi airport can make spot bookings at the special Sabarimala Pilgrim Facilitation Centre this time. Aadhaar is mandatory for spot bookings at Pampa, Vandiperiyar, and Erumeli for pilgrims not in the virtual queue. If they don't have Aadhaar, they should carry their Voters ID card or passport. Devotees who arrive without making a spot booking will be prevented from entering Sannidanam.

Bus service from airport to Pamba
Special KSRTC bus service has been launched from the Cochin International Airport to Pampa. The daily service starts at 8 pm and reaches Pamba by 2.30 am. The bus service, too, was flagged off by Minister P Rajeev. Devotees could either book tickets online or purchase them onboard. Charter service could also be scheduled if there are more than 30 passengers to Pamba from the airport. Tickets could be booked via its website. Ente KSRTC Neo-oprs app or at 9539215231 and 9562738311.