India
oi-Ashish Rana
Sabarimala pilgrims staged a road blockade at Pampa on Sunday after waiting for hours for buses to return from the hill shrine, highlighting gaps in transport and crowd management during the ongoing monthly pilgrimage season. Thousands of devotees, including children and elderly women, were stranded amid severe traffic congestion along the Nilackal-Pampa route.
A protest occurred at Pampa during the Sabarimala monthly pilgrimage due to a bus shortage and traffic jams on the Nilackal route, exacerbated by road repairs and heavy crowds, prompting Minister K. Muraleedharan to flag management and infrastructure concerns.
Bus Shortage Triggers Protest At Pampa
Pilgrims who had completed darshan faced long waits for buses at Pampa, as inadequate transport arrangements disrupted their return journey. Frustrated devotees blocked the road, leading to tense exchanges with police personnel before the situation escalated into a protest.
The rush also left thousands stuck in traffic for hours, with some struggling to access food and drinking water. Police and Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) officials faced mounting pressure as congestion stretched from Nilackal towards the Sannidhanam.
Road Repairs, Accident Worsen Traffic Congestion
Officials attributed the delays to ongoing road repairs along the Nilackal-Pampa stretch and a shortage of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) buses. Traffic congestion extended to Attathodu, while an accident along the route further slowed vehicle movement.
The situation has raised concerns over the pace of infrastructure work ahead of the annual pilgrimage season, which is expected to draw large crowds to the hill shrine.
Minister Flags Gaps In Pilgrim Management
Earlier, Devaswom Minister K. Muraleedharan expressed concern over shortcomings in crowd management and coordination. He asked the TDB to exercise extra caution until 22 October, when the temple closes after the Thulam month rituals, and improve preparations for the next pilgrimage season.
The Minister also raised concerns over incomplete repairs at the Aravana manufacturing plant and delays in finalising the rice procurement contract. Although the TDB has a buffer stock of more than two lakh tins of Aravana, timely procurement of raw rice remains important to avoid production problems during the annual season.
Virtual queue bookings for the first three days of the current monthly season crossed 1.5 lakh, with around 60,000 pilgrims booking slots for both Sunday and Monday.
Police Deployment Increased Ahead Of Mandalam Season
Authorities doubled the police deployment, assigning 800 personnel to crowd management. Of these, 500 had reached the Sannidhanam, while 90 were tasked exclusively with regulating movement up the 18 holy steps.
Five consecutive holidays, including the weekend and Navaratri holidays, contributed to the heavy rush. The temple will reopen on the evening of 16 November for the 41-day Mandalam pilgrimage season.
An official warned that delays in road repairs and other essential infrastructure work could create serious problems during the annual pilgrimage if preparations were not completed on time.
