Kerala govt to allow darshan to Sabarimala pilgrims arriving without online booking: CM Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that pilgrims arriving at Sabarimala without online booking on virtual queue will also be allowed darshan.

An earlier decision of the state government to allow darshan only to those making online booking on virtual queue system as well as to allow only up to 80,000 pilgrims a day during the two month pilgrimage beginning on November 15, had triggered strong protests from political parties and Hindu outfits. They demanded that spot booking facility should be ensured for pilgrims.

The Chief Minister said in the Assembly on Tuesday that necessary arrangements would be made to ensure darshan for those pilgrims who reach Sabarimala without making online booking on the virtual queue system. He also said that the decision to make online booking on virtual queue for pilgrims was taken in order to make effective crowd management and security arrangements.

The Chief Minister's clarification came a day after various Hindu organisations launched protests that resembled the 2018 stir against the decision of allowing women between ages 10 and 50 to enter the Sabarimala temple. Apart from BJP and Congress, CPI, which is a coalition partner of the CPM, also raised objections against the fresh restrictions.