The Kerala High Court on Wednesday severely criticized the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) for lapses in managing the massive pilgrim rush at the Sabarimala temple, stating that assurances were not met and there was a lack of coordination.
The court observed a complete failure of coordination among the various officials and departments responsible for managing the pilgrimage. The court said there is no proper coordination in crowd control and that none of the assurances given by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) have been fulfilled.
The Devaswom bench of the High Court noted that necessary infrastructure works and preparations, which should have commenced at least six months prior to the pilgrimage season, were not completed in time.
The High Court stated that crowd control was not being handled scientifically and questioned the logic of allowing a maximum number of people into the Sannidhanam without ensuring proper arrangements and safety.
The court further said that authorities lacked accurate data on the carrying capacity of different areas, including the Sannidhanam, Pamba, and Nilakkal, to manage pilgrim flow effectively. The pushing of pilgrims forward without considering the capacity of the area, especially near the 18 steps, was deemed a “wrong approach” and unsafe.
In view of the chaos experienced in Sabarimala on Tuesday, the court instructed the TDB authorities to divide the pilgrimage route into separate sectors and calculate the capacity of each, allowing people to proceed only after ensuring the previous sector can accommodate them.
The court has sought a report from the state government and the Devaswom Board (TDB)detailing the steps being taken to rectify the situation and ensure smooth crowd management.
The current pilgrimage season, which began on November 17, 2025, witnessed an unprecedented rush, with nearly two lakh devotees arriving within the first 48 hours, leading to severe congestion, long wait times, and reports of children and the elderly facing distress.
Meanwhile, leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly VD. Satheesan has strongly condemned the government and Devaswom Board, for the chaos in the Sabarimala. He said that hundreds of pilgrims were returning without being able to have darshan at the shrine . Such a situation is unprecedented in Sabarimala’s history, he said.
Satheesan said the very same people who organised a global Ayyappa summit have now left devotees in deep distress. He also said that a UDF delegation will visit Sabarimala to evaluate the situation there.
Meanwhile, the Travancore Devaswom Board(TDB) President K Jayakumar has said that the rush that occurred in Sabarimala the previous day will not be repeated. Jayakumar also apologized to those who were unable to have darshan at the Sannidhanam and took off their garlands.