Kerala will strengthen security and crowd-management measures for the upcoming Sabarimala pilgrimage season beginning November 17. Authorities will focus on virtual queues, CCTV surveillance, emergency response, vehicle checks, parking management and police verification of workers at key locations
Four pilgrims, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and seven others injured when their vehicle rammed into a parked truck while returning from Sabarimala near Tumakuru in Karnataka early on Friday
Kerala and Karnataka have issued health advisories for Sabarimala pilgrims amid recent amoebic meningoencephalitis cases. Devotees are advised to avoid water entering the nose, maintain hygiene, carry medications, and seek medical help for any symptoms. Emergency services are deployed along pilgrimage routes.
Sabarimala’s Mandalam-Makaravilakku pilgrimage season began on Monday with hundreds of devotees thronging the temple. Rituals were performed, and long queues formed for darshan. Daily pilgrim numbers are capped at 90,000 through virtual and spot booking systems.
In a letter addressed to Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, Kerala Chief Secretary Vishwas Mehta said the Covid negative report obtained within 48 hours of darshan was mandatory for pilgrims for registration
