Lakhs queue up for Sabarimala pilgrimage; devotees complain of lack of water

As lakhs of devotees queued for darshan at the Ayyappa temple at Sabarimala in Pathanamthitta, Kerala, on the second day of the annual Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, complaints of lack of water were reported for pilgrims who stood in the queue for several hours on Tuesday, November 18, 2025.

Following complaints and a large crowd of devotees at the temple site, many of whom blocked the line, newly appointed Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) chairman K. Jayakumar said 200 additional staff were deployed to reach people in the queue and provide them with water.

He also said that instructions have been issued to ensure that devotees can steadily climb the 18 steps for darshan and that no one cuts the line to get ahead.

“I have never seen such a large and dangerous crowd in the temple area so far. It seems that some people are cutting the line to jump ahead. Even I am afraid to see the huge crowd here,” he said.

“I have issued instructions to ensure steady movement of pilgrims and to ensure that no one cuts the queue or line. Such a large crowd should not have gathered here,” he said.

Mr. Jayakumar said he has also issued instructions to restrict the flow of devotees at Nilackal to reduce crowding of pilgrims at Pamba and ensure that they can complete their pilgrimage quickly without having to wait in queues for three-five hours.

“People can wait at Nilackal. There are facilities there for that. We will also set up seven additional spot booking counters there so that devotees do not have to come to Pamba for this. We will also explore the possibility of limiting the number of spot bookings in a day,” he said.

The TDB chief also said that devotees do not enter the queuing complexes set up at Sabarimala for fear of losing their priority in the queue.

“But if they get into their tail complex, it will be easier for us to give them water and biscuits,” he said.

However, as devotees stood in queues for several hours, 200 additional staff were deployed to reach people in the queues and provide them with water, he said.

He also said that around 200 cleaning personnel have been brought in from Tamil Nadu to clean the toilets in Sabarimala.

After the temple was inaugurated on the evening of November 16 for the Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, nearly 2 lakh devotees arrived at the temple by Tuesday noon. Till 12 noon on Tuesday, 1,96,594 devotees turned up at the temple, including instant bookings, the board said in a statement.