Arrangements in place for Makaravilakku: V.N. Vasavan

Extensive arrangements have been made for the January 14 Makaravilakku festival at the Sabarimala Temple, the State government and the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) said here on Wednesday.

Minister for Devaswom V.N. Vasavan said the government and the TDB have worked as a team to ensure that the festival is conducted smoothly and that the devotees do not face hardships. Arrangements for the devotees and security measures are in place, the Minister said.

The Transport Department has announced that the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will operate 900 buses to ferry devotees to Pampa during the festival, Mr. Vasavan said.

TDB president K. Jayakumar said steps have been taken to curb the clandestine ‘trade’ in passes and rooms that becomes rampant during Makaravilakku. Excluding those set aside for donors and government use, all rooms will be pooled and be allotted through an online booking system from January 10.

Devotees will have to produce proof of identification for their stay, Mr. Jayakumar said. Steps have also been taken to curb the illegal sale of passes issued for viewing Makaravilakku, he said. “We cannot ignore such trends as they cause hardships to the devotees and create a bad name for Sabarimala,” Mr. Jayakumar said.

The government has also take steps to deploy additional police personnel and volunteers this year, according to Mr. Vasavan.