The court established that effective crowd management requires a structured, scientific approach involving multidisciplinary planning and coordination among various authorities to safely accommodate large pilgrim inflows.

ORDER

Raja Vijayaraghavan V, J.

This report has been filed by the Special Commissioner concerning the crowd management issues witnessed during the Mandala–Makaravilakku Season 2025–2026.

2. From the report of the Special Commissioner, it is noted t hat the Mandala–Makaravilakku Festival Season 2025–2026 commenced on 17.11.2025. The Sannidhanam has witnessed an unprecedented influx of devotees from the very day the temple was opened. It is reported that, despite earnest and sustained efforts to regulate the crowd, the tail end of the queue has, during the last two days, extended beyond Marakkoottam. The number of pilgrims admitted through the Virtual-Q booking system, together with those permitted through spot booking, has exceeded one lakh. With respect to spot booking, although the prescribed limit is 20,000 pilgrims per day, the Special Commissioner reports that, considering the unexpectedly large turnout of devotees at Sannidhanam, the number admitted has crossed 30,000. The Special Commissioner has further reported that it has now become practically impossible to accommodate the heavy rush of pilgrims at both Sannidhanam and Pamba. In order to regulate the crowd and restrict spot booking, it has been suggested that the real-time booking counters be shifted from Pamba to Nilakkal, where adequate space is available to manage and accommodate the incoming pilgrims.

3. We note that by Order dated 13.12.2023 in SSCR No. 29 of 2023 and connected cases, this Court had directed to restrict the s pot booking to 10,000 when the Virtual-Q booking reaches 80,000 so as to regulate crowd management and to ensure safe and hassle-free darshan to the Sabarimala devotees. The Commissioner has recorded that it is necessary also to fix the number of pilgrims coming from the Erumeli Kanana Patha to 5000 per day and allow them to trek only after registering in the Virtual-Q or real-time registration at Erumeli.

4. The learned Standing Counsel appearing for the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) submitted that although the Virtual-Q booking cap was fixed at 70,000 and spot booking was limited to 20,000, the inflow of pilgrims was so overwhelming that more than 30,000 pilgrims were granted entry. He further submitted that several pilgrims who had obtained Virtual-Q bookings for future dates had, in disregard of their scheduled time slots, nevertheless reached Sannidhanam. Under the Virtual-Q system, pilgrims are permitted to reach Sannidhanam only within a window of 6 hours prior to, or 18 hours after, the scheduled date and time allotted to them.

5. The learned Standing Counsel then pointed out that on the first day of the season, when the Nada opened at 4:00 p.m., the permissible cap for entry was 30,000. However, on that very day, approximately 53,278 pilgrims reached Sannidhanam. He submitted that the Ghee Abhishekam at Sannidhanam is conducted only between 03:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.; therefore, a substantial number of pilgrims who arrived on 17.11.2025 at 4:00 p.m. remained at Sannidhanam overnight in order to participate in the ritual the next morning. It is stated that more than 40,000 pilgrims stayed overnight at Sannidhanam, resting under the Nadapandhal and in the open grounds.

6. On 17.11.2025, although the Virtual-Q booking was capped at 70,000, the total footfall at Sannidhanam was 98,950, inclusive of spot bookings. The learned Standing Counsel points out that the “hold and release” method is being e