The Kerala High Court on Friday permitted the executive officer to make minor modifications to the cap on the number of pilgrims at Sabarimala that the court recently imposed, in coordination with the chief coordinator and the special commissioner.
This could be done in a situation where the pilgrim inflow was lower, and during times when the concentration of pilgrims remained strictly within the green-zone limits. The court had earlier issued directions that the Virtual-Q booking had to be capped at 70,000 per day, and to limit spot bookings at 5,000 per day until November 24, for effective and safe crowd management.
It had also directed the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) to ensure that the number of pilgrims who were permitted to use the Kanana Patha (forest trek path) was strictly limited to 5,000 per day. These pilgrims must either possess a valid Virtual-Q booking, or must fall within the limit of spot bookings prescribed by the court.
The TDB informed the court that crowd density significantly reduced after the court orders and the restrictions imposed on pilgrim inflow. The matter would be heard again on December 3.
Published – November 21, 2025 08:36 pm IST
