Sabarimala Darshan: No Spot Booking Allowed From January 10, Decides Travancore Temple Body

TDB President P S Prashanth explained that the decision to suspend spot bookings from January 10 was prompted by the increasing number of pilgrims making their way to the hill shrine.

A statement from the TDB president emphasized that Ayyappa devotees intending to have darshan at the hill temple during these days must obtain virtual queue booking tickets.

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Amid anticipated heavy rush on the occasion of the auspicious Makaravilakku festival of Lord Ayyappa temple in Sabarimala, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the apex temple body managing the shrine, decided to regulate spot bookings for darshan on Tuesday. The TDB officials said there will be no spot booking for pilgrims from January 10 and virtual queue bookings are limited to 40,000 on January 15, the day of Makaravilakku.

TDB President P S Prashanth stated that these regulations are designed to facilitate a seamless and secure darshan experience for devotees while preventing a significant rush at the Sannidhanam, the temple complex.

He explained that the decision to suspend spot bookings from January 10 was prompted by the increasing number of pilgrims making their way to the hill shrine.

Prashanth also recommended that, given the expected crowd, it would be advisable for women and child pilgrims to refrain from visiting the Lord Ayyappa Temple on January 14 and 15.

A statement from the TDB president emphasized that Ayyappa devotees intending to have darshan at the hill temple during these days must obtain virtual queue booking tickets.

On New Year's Day, the shrine opened at 3 am, and the idol of Lord Ayyappa underwent an anointment of ghee from 18,018 coconuts following the nirmalyam and abhishekam rituals. As per an official release, 20,000 coconuts filled with ghee from the Pamba Ganapati temple were arranged for the Neyyabhishekam and then transported to the hill shrine on a tractor.

In the upcoming days, various rituals, including 'prasada shudha kriya' and 'bimba shudha kriya', are scheduled to take place on January 13 and 14 in preparation for the Makaravilakku festival on January 15, as stated by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB), the apex temple body managing the hill shrine.