Sabarimala chaos: Pilgrims returning without darshan, Kerala CM says 'nothing unusual'

The chaos at Sabarimala has left thousands of pilgrims stranded in long queues from Pamba to Sannidhanam, with some even calling off the trip to Sabarimala, and returned home. The situation has got worse at Nilackal base camp, where poor parking facilities and a shortage of KSRTC buses have made it a nightmare for pilgrims. The pilgrims reportedly had to wait for hours to board overcrowded buses to reach Pamba. Additionally, there were reports of a shortage of drinking water and food packets, a TOI report stated.

Due to the delay, many pilgrims from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and northern districts of Kerala were unable to proceed to Pamba from the Nilackal base camp. As a result, they returned without completing their pilgrimage. Some of them visited Valiya Koyikkal temple at Pandalam and performed traditional rituals at Sannidhanam, such as neyyabhishekam.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, however, tried to play down the chaos, stating that nothing unusual had occurred at Sabarimala. He emphasized the need to inform people about the arrangements and facilities in place at the pilgrimage site. The Chief Minister directed efforts to manage the situation without causing difficulties for the pilgrims and suggested limiting the spot booking facility.


Meanwhile, the Kerala High Court ordered authorities to provide support and proper facilities to Sabarimala pilgrims. The court also instructed the police to control the rush at the hilltop shrine. However, Opposition leader V D Satheesan criticized the state government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for their failure to ensure a smooth pilgrimage this year.

A delegation from the United Democratic Front (UDF), led by Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan MLA, also visited Nilackal and Pamba to assess the situation. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the LDF government of deliberately creating hardships for the pilgrims. Union Minister V Muraleedharan criticized the government for failing to provide adequate facilities.


According to official records, 57,596 pilgrims reached Sannidhanam through the virtual queue system until 6 pm on Tuesday. However, TDB special secretary M G Rajamanickam told TOI that around 1,20,000 devotees were arriving daily at Sabarimala. This includes 80,000 through the virtual queue system, approximately 20,000 through spot booking, and around 5,000 through the Pullumedu forest path.

Rajamanickam explained that around 4,200 devotees usually climb the 18 holy steps to the shrine in an hour. However, due to the high number of elderly people and children, less than 3,900 devotees can climb the steps in an hour now. This has resulted in the rush at Pamba and Nilackal. Tragically, a pilgrim named Periyaswamy (54) from Salem passed away near Ranni, Pathanamthitta on Monday night. He was traveling in a bus caught in the long queue of vehicles heading to Sabarimala. When he went out to have food, the bus left without him. He collapsed and fell on the road while running after the bus and was rushed to Perunad hospital, but unfortunately, his life could not be saved.