Plans afoot to control crowd for Makaravilakku

Curbs likely on entry of pilgrims to Sabarimala as COVID-19 cases rise

With just days left for the Makaravilakku festival to begin at Sabarimala, a high-level meeting held here on Tuesday decided to impose restrictions on the entry of pilgrims to the forest shrine in view of theunfolding COVID-19 situation.The meeting, convened by Arjun Pandian, Additional District magistrate of Sabarimala, reviewed the arrangements in place for accommodating the pilgrims on the festival day.

The protocol for crowd control will be formulated during a meeting to be convened at Pampa on Wednesday. Authorities are anticipating about 1.5 lakh devotees to turn up across different vantage points for Makarajyothi darshan this time.“Pilgrims will be restricted at Pampa in view of the Thiruvabharanam procession on the Makaravilakku day and there will be restrictions on KSRTC bus schedules and at both Nilackal and Pampa,” said the official.