Security Will Be Ensured at Sabarimala: DGP

Sabarimala: Kerala’s State Police Chief visited Sabarimala to assess the security and crowd-management measures in place during the ongoing pilgrimage season. Speaking to reporters after offering prayers at the sanctum on Monday night, DGP Ravada Chandrasekhar said that comprehensive arrangements have been made to ensure the safety and convenience of all pilgrims arriving at the hill shrine.

Sabarimala is witnessing an unusually heavy influx of devotees this season. To manage the surge, adequate police personnel have been deployed at all critical points. The DGP said he had reviewed the ground situation in consultation with the concerned officials and confirmed that safety arrangements have been strengthened across the premises. Spot booking is being regulated based on real-time crowd density, he added.

While the overall rush has continued to rise, officials say the enhanced arrangements have helped maintain a smoother flow of devotees. As part of crowd-control measures, the limit for spot bookings has again been fixed at 5,000. Meanwhile, the virtual queue system continues to provide access for up to 70,000 devotees.

After a two-day break, spot booking has resumed at Erumeli, where four counters are currently functioning. Earlier, in line with High Court directives, spot booking was restricted exclusively to the Nilakkal and Vandiperiyar centres.