Sabarimala pilgrimage 2024: Aadhaar must for spot booking; Don't miss these key guidelines

Thiruvananthapuram: The Travancore Devaswom Board has outlined several guidelines for this year’s Mandala-Makaravilakku Sabarimala pilgrimage, following last year’s shortcomings. President P. S. Prasanth, along with board members A. Ajikumar and G. Sundaresan, shared to the media the final preparations of the pilgrimage.

New guidelines for pilgrims

The new measures aim to enhance the safety, comfort, and efficiency of the pilgrimage, which is expected to see large crowds this year.

Aadhaar mandatory for real-time online booking

• Aadhaar will be mandatory for spot bookings at Pampa, Vandiperiyar, and Erumeli for pilgrims not in the virtual queue.
• If Aadhaar is unavailable, pilgrims must carry their passport or voter ID card.

Parking fees via FASTag

• FASTag will be used for parking fee collection at Pampa, similar to the system in Nilakkal.
• A new three-acre parking lot will be developed in Erumeli by the Housing Board to accommodate more vehicles.

Walkways and hot water for pilgrims at Pampa

• Nine walkways will be set up at Pampa to streamline the pilgrimage flow and manage queues efficiently.
• 60 hot water kiosks will be placed at intervals of 50 metres from Saramkuthi to the walkways in order to ensure comfort for pilgrims during their journey.
• Pilgrims can collect drinking water in steel bottles (available for a deposit of Rs 100) at Pampa.

Accommodation arrangements

• 400 rooms will be available for pilgrims at Sannidanam.
• 1,500 chairs will be placed along the Marakootam to Chandranandan Road for pilgrims to rest.

Darshan timings

Darshan hours will be 18 hours daily

• 3:00 am to 1:00 pm
• 3:00 pm to 11:00 pm

Healthcare services

Over 100 specialty doctors will be stationed at Pampa and Sannidhanam to provide medical assistance to pilgrims.

Aravana reserves increased

The Aravana reserve will be increased to 40 lakh tins to meet the high demand during the pilgrimage.

Accidental death insurance

Pilgrims will be covered by a Rs 5 lakh insurance in case of accidental death during the pilgrimage.

Virtual queue and live booking

A total of 70,000 pilgrims are allocated in the virtual queue, with 10,000 pilgrims using spot booking.

Plastic ban awareness campaign

A plastic ban awareness campaign will be launched, featuring celebrities such as singer KS Chithra, music director Vidya Sagar, and Carnatic musician Vijaya Prakash.

Clean Pampa campaign

A Clean Pampa Campaign will also run to prevent pollution of the Pampa River, especially by discouraging pilgrims from discarding clothes in the river.