Sabarimala Prep Under Strain as Mandala Season Nears; TDB Denies Delays

With roughly two months remaining before the Mandala Makaravilakku pilgrimage season, concerns are mounting over the pace of preparations at Sabarimala, with several key works yet to be completed.

A section of Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) employees and devotee organisations have pointed to sluggish progress across sanitation, roads, facilities at edathavalams (stopover points) and other essential infrastructure. They have urged the State government and the Board to speed up the work, cautioning that the limited time left leaves little scope for further delay. At Sannidhanam, questions have also been raised about the availability of aravana containers and flip lids.

D. Vijayakumar, national secretary of the Akhila Bharata Ayyappa Seva Sanghom, said local bodies in Chengannur, Pandalam and Kulanada receive funds linked to the pilgrimage, but their delayed release affects sanitation and other arrangements. He also called for the early recruitment of Vishuddhi Sena personnel so that clean-up operations can begin on time.

The Thiruvabharana Patha Samrakshana Samithi attributed the slow progress to continuing differences between the State government and the TDB. It flagged delays in tender procedures for several road works and sought immediate improvement of service roads.

The concerns follow a similar warning from the Travancore Devaswom Employees Front, which represents temple workers under the TDB. It said critical tendering processes and ground-level arrangements were moving slowly, and cautioned that poor crowd management or inadequate infrastructure could dent revenue and deal a financial blow to the Board.

The TDB, however, has rejected the concerns, stating that preparations are proceeding as planned. A spokesperson said a comprehensive sanitation network is being planned for the pilgrimage zone, including mechanised cleaning systems at locations such as Lower Thirumuttom and a network of 300 modern toilets in uniform designs along the trek path.

The Board has also introduced a uniform design for shops within the pilgrimage zone to cut waste generation. Tenders for auctioning these spaces are expected within a day or two, while tenders for essential supplies such as jaggery are also being initiated. At edathavalams, plans are being readied to provide shelters for pilgrims, with the spokesperson saying the work will begin in earnest and that the only current delay relates to coordination meetings with local legislators, caused by clashing dates.

Official sources indicated that the AI-assisted crowd management system announced earlier may take longer to roll out. Since crowd management falls under the police, full-scale implementation can proceed only after discussions with the department, an official said.

The Board has also expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the Vishuddhi Sena, the cleaning workforce brought in from Tamil Nadu each year. An official described the system as outdated and said alternatives are being explored, with implementation of a new arrangement slated to begin in the coming season itself.