Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Friday directed the Devaswom Managing Committee of the renowned Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple to prepare a detailed crowd management action plan.

A bench of Justices Raja Vijayaraghavan and K V Jayakumar, while hearing multiple petitions concerning issues at the temple, including crowd control, instructed the committee to consult various stakeholders and submit the plan to the court within two months.

The court noted that all petitioners had raised concerns over crowd management at the temple.

The Guruvayur Devaswom Board told the court that it had introduced an online booking system for darshan during the Covid-19 pandemic. After restrictions eased, a hybrid system combining online and offline bookings was implemented.

However, the temple management said that due to the special and unique religious customs at Guruvayur, the timing and duration of poojas could not be precisely predicted. To avoid conflicts, the committee decided to discontinue online bookings and return to offline-only darshan, stating that a hybrid system was not feasible.

The Devaswom also noted that the temple’s strict poojavidhi, structured by Adi Shankaracharya around 500 BCE, is still meticulously observed. Darshan is available for only 10 to 11 hours each day, in intervals between rituals. Because of these constraints, specific time slots cannot be allotted to devotees, making a virtual queue system impractical.

The court emphasised that crowd management should not focus solely on "how to manage the queue" but fundamentally on "how to avoid the queue." It added that the inner naalambalam and surrounding areas at Guruvayur have very limited space, and any sudden or concentrated influx of pilgrims can create multiple problems.

Acknowledging the hardships faced by devotees, the court said it was time to implement a modern, scientifically designed system to ensure a dignified and spiritually fulfilling experience.

The court laid out 12 guidelines for the temple management to consider:

  • Conduct a scientific study to determine the temple’s safe capacity on normal and festival days and fix a cap accordingly.
  • Establish designated entry and exit points.
  • Group devotees in batches of 300 to 500, with tentative time slots assigned.
  • Introduce a mobile application and digital display system to provide real-time updates.
  • Reserve at least two days per week exclusively for online booking to assist devotees from distant locations.
  • Ensure adequate drinking water, seating, fans, lighting, and refreshments.
  • Increase darshan time after consultation with the Thantri by optimising ritual closures.
  • Guarantee a dignified darshan experience and prevent staff misconduct with regular staff training.
  • Prioritise darshan for senior citizens, differently-abled persons, pregnant women, and those with infants.
  • Form a permanent multi-departmental committee for consultation, including representatives from the Devaswom Managing Committee, District Collector, Superintendent of Police, Guruvayur Municipality Secretary, Suchitwa Mission District Coordinator, Pollution Control Board Environmental Engineer, and District Medical Officer.

PTI inputs