All set for Makaravilakku at Sabarimala

With just hours to go for the Makaravilakku festival at Sabarimala, the hill temple and its surroundings are fully geared up to receive the surge of pilgrims.

According to K. Jayakumar, Travancore Devaswom Board president, nearly one lakh pilgrims are currently camping at the Sannidhanam and nearby areas, even as devotees continue to arrive via the Erumely forest route. The police have been placed on high alert to manage the heavy rush.

Strict restrictions have been imposed on viewing the Makarajyothi from the Thirumuttam and flyovers. Only pilgrims issued special photo identity passes by the TDB will be allowed to remain at these locations, and the passes are non-transferable under any circumstances.

Pilgrims have been asked not to crowd the return routes after the Makarajyothi darshan, with additional KSRTC buses being deployed at Pampa to facilitate a smooth return, Mr. Jayakumar said.

A comprehensive review of this pilgrimage season and planning for the next annual pilgrimage will be undertaken at a meeting of all departments concerned scheduled for February 6.

On the security front, around 2,000 police personnel have been deployed across the pilgrimage zone. The Health department has stationed about 50 doctors, including specialists, along with supporting staff, at hospitals in Sannidhanam, Pampa, Neelimala, Appachimedu, Charalmedu and Nilackal. A reserve list of doctors has also been drawn up to ensure uninterrupted emergency care.

Medical preparedness has been further strengthened with the deployment of 19 additional ambulances, taking the total to 46. Of these, 14 ambulances will operate at various Makarajyothi viewing points, while five will be stationed at Pampa and Nilackal. Seventeen emergency medical aid centres have also been set up along the trekking path from Pampa to the Sannidhanam. A 24-hour control room is functioning to coordinate stretcher and ambulance services.

Meanwhile, tension flared at Erumely on Tuesday after the police stopped vehicles bound for Sabarimala from 1.30 p.m. onwards due to overcrowding. The move triggered protests by pilgrims, many of them from other States, who took to the roads, staged a sit-in and raised slogans against the restrictions.