Kerala HC Directs Travancore Board To Ensure Water, Other Facilities To Sabarimala Devotees

The bench instructed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to ensure the provision of water, snacks, and facilities at 'Edathavalams,' temporary resting places for Sabarimala pilgrims.

The Kerala High Court held a special sitting on Monday and issued directions to Travancore Devaswom Board to provide water, snacks and other facilities at 'Edathavalam' for devotees while on their way to Lord Ayyappa shrine in Sabarimala. Thousands of devotees throng Sabarimala shrine every year for the annual Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage.

A bench comprising Justices Anil K Narendran and G Girish convened a special sitting in response to reports of devotees, including children, stranded on Sabarimala roads for over 12 hours without food or water.

The bench instructed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to ensure the provision of water, snacks, and facilities at 'Edathavalams,' temporary resting places for pilgrims. It emphasized that any lapse by the TDB in providing amenities to pilgrims would be taken seriously, given the Board's role as Devaswom trustees, according to a report on PTI.

The court directed Assistant Commissioners overseeing Edathavalams/temples to inspect and submit reports to the Devaswom Commissioner regarding issues faced by pilgrims on December 24 and 25. Reports, along with an affidavit from the Devaswom Commissioner, should be presented to the court.

The court outlined measures such as limiting spot registrations when Virtual-Q bookings reach 80,000 and controlling entry at Sannidhanam and Pamba based on holding capacity.

The State Police chief was directed to oversee crowd control and deploy additional personnel if needed.

In response to reports of stranded vehicles, the court tasked TDB with instructing pilgrims to leave Sannidhanam promptly through public address systems. This move aims to reduce crowding at Sannidhanam and Pamba, allowing stranded pilgrims en route to Sabarimala to proceed for darshan, the court instructed.

"The pilgrims shall also be informed through the public address systems at the Edathavalams/ temples and also through police patrolling vehicles deployed for sectoral patrolling, to cooperate with the restrictions imposed, since the number of footfall at Sannidhanam and Pamba has reached the maximum holding capacity, and that steps are being taken to ensure that all the pilgrims have darshan, at the earliest," the bench said, as per the report.